A Field of Flowers
by HowlsMoon
Summary: Orchestrated by Naraku, a horrible misunderstanding has taken place. Kagome turns her back on Inuyasha and, thanks to Rin, ends up in the Western Castle. Inuyasha has to redeem himself while they strive to see through the lies and betrayal.
1. Release

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER ONE-:-:-:-:-

Kagome wished it was Kikyo she saw Inuyasha with as she blindly crashed through the underbrush of the forest. Thorns pulled at her clothes but she paid them no mind.

'_How could he do this_?' She cried in her head, gritting her teeth, tears spilling reluctantly over her cheeks. The cold night air stung the wet tracks left behind. She raked the back of her hand across her eyes and pumped her legs harder. Despite her effort, the memories bubbled to the surface.

_They were staying overnight in a hut on the far outskirts of Kaede's village. Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kilala, and Inuyasha. Against the walls in the bare hut, the occupants rested. Kagome was dozing lightly with Shippou in her lap when she felt, more than heard, someone stirring. At first, she ignored it, but when Shippou twisted his head restlessly on her lap she grudgingly opened her eyes a sliver. A dark shadow unfurled from a corner and stood sleepily; a woman's form._

"_Sango_…_" Kagome thought foggily, "she must need to use the restroom_."

_She turned her head to close her eyes again but noticed that Inuyasha's dark blob, sitting a few feet from her, was missing._

A low branch whipped across her face. She didn't know whether the stinging was more from tears rising in her eyes or from the branch that had left welts. After what she saw, she had felt something inside her shift. It was the last thing she could handle and now she was escaping.

_Worried, Kagome frowned into the empty space where the hanyou should have been. After a pause she relaxed back and waited a few minutes, now alert, listening to the silence, waiting for either of them to return. _

_When the curiosity became too much, she slid Shippou as gently as she could from her lap and stood slowly. With as careful precision she could manage, she stepped around Shippou, Miroku, and Kilala and made it through the weaved-bamboo flap door. _

_The chilly night air brushed against her bare arms which she wrapped around herself. Outside was almost as dark as inside the hut. The moon was a slivered crescent. It had recently been the new moon, which was why the group had hunkered down for a while. _

_Kagome glanced up to the clouded sky that few stars managed to pierce. She couldn't help but take a deep breath. Then, looking around, she noted that neither Sango nor Inuyasha were in sight._

"_Sango?" she half-whispered, turning in a slow circle. Still Nothing. With a sigh, she began to wander towards Goshinboku where she was certain she would find Inuyasha. Being as silent as she could to not attract forest life, she picked her way there slowly. When she neared the tree is when she saw them. Even in the minimal moonlight, Inuyasha's silver hair seemed luminous. Beside him was the figure of a woman._

"Kikyo_?" Kagome thought brokenly. The pair was standing very close, Kikyo's back to Kagome._

_Kagome's heart clenched and the bottom seemed to drop out of her stomach when they both leaned in to kiss, passionately as far as she could tell. Anger and jealously bubbled up under the shock. Her heart was beating so hard she felt like it was trying to escape, and she couldn't blame it. She wished she could escape from this. This reoccurring, heart-rending pain Inuyasha always staked through her chest when Kikyo came to see him…and he accepted her. _

_Her face was stained with a flush of red, the anger becoming too much to hold in, and on the verge of eruption, everything—everything she was feeling, thinking, hating—disappeared. Her mind was a white screen. The couple pulled apart. And it was not Kikyo. It was Sango._

At that time, when she saw them together, Kagome wasn't sure whether her heart sped excruciatingly or if it stopped all together, frozen indefinitely. But she did know that she had to get far, far away.

Now as she fled, she was losing energy and her only focus was one foot in front of the other. She was sure that if she stopped, if her foot snagged on something as slight as a weed, she would fall and not be able to get up. She was through being strong and painting on the smile for the sake of the group. She didn't let her mind linger on the group and put all her will into lifting her feet. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left—ditch.

She fell hard, crying out.

Oh. She was wrong. She could get up and keep going.

Not pausing to check for injuries she most clearly felt, Kagome immediately clawed from the ditch. The rough grit of sand in her mouth forgotten and the pounding pain in her shoulder was also pushed aside. Breaking from the ditch, the miko barely registered the wall of foliage before she plowed through it. Her foot caught in the brush, a vine refused to give to her speed, and she was whipped around and she fell to the ground in a large clearing, finally out cold in a numb mixture of sleep and oblivion.

oOo

Kagome had no idea how she was out for so long, but when her eyes blinked open of their own accord, it was bright day. The sun was high in the sky, even tilting towards the west. She rolled onto her back, her body blissfully desensitized. She looked slightly to the side and saw the clearing that framed her. A wildflower patch. And a large one, at that.

As she stood up slowly and pulled her gaze across the grove, every color she could possibly imagine waved up at her cheerily. Kagome felt like scowling, but she didn't have the energy for it. Instead, she didn't try to lock down her barriers. She just disintegrated them and all she saw was the field of bowing, merry flowers. All she felt was the breeze on her skin, warm and dry. All she smelled was the amazingly fresh scent of the flowers cradled on the breeze. And all she knew was that she wanted to release the vice holding her chest tight.

Since the incident (for that's what she dubbed it), she found she could only think on one track. No, it may not have been safe. Yes, everything would catch up with her later. But, who cared?

Kagome felt the heat on her face from the sun, she felt it seep through her skin and warm her muscles. Then she found herself walking forward, then running. The field looked to be a little over a mile across and despite her race yesterday, she sprinted full-out.

A quarter of the way across, she breathed in the warm air deeply and let it out with a whoosh. She spun and cart-wheeled and closed her eyes and danced. Her hair spun out and her skirt blossomed around her legs. Across the field she danced, twirling around the edges and then whirling and leaping amid the sea of blooms.

It was freeing to pull back from the world like this and withdraw from all things beyond the edges of the meadow. And yet maybe the absence was a drawback. When Kagome finally flopped into a bed of flowers, her breath racing, a pair of golden eyes were locked on her. They blinked, then turned away.

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**A/N: Alrighty, so it's up! This is the main story of my trilogy of sorts so thank you for reading! If you didn't read the prequel to this story, I'd like you to because I'm pretty proud of it, not tootin my own horn or anything but y'know. Lol. It's not necessary to read it before this one, so you won't be confused or anything, but please do.**

**I wrote this story a while ago and it was pretty popular back then when Inuyasha was airing on AdultSwim (again, sorry if I sound like im big-headed about this, im really not) and I think the Inuyasha fandom has slowed down since then…Anyway I took these stories down and fixed em up and now im putting them back up just for the heck of it. There're probably still spelling or grammatical errors even after I combed thru them (man u guys should have seen how I was hacking away at the earlier chapters lol this first chapter I completely redid!)**

**So anyway, enough with my rambling =) please be kind and leave a review, if I have an audience I tend to take more care in updating and I love to read if people are liking the story. So, with pleasure I give you my work ^_^ I hope you like it!**

**JA NE**


	2. Relative Safety

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER TWO-:-:-:-:-

The golden eyes disappeared as quickly as they had come. Kagome finally lay down in a patch of vivid yellow daisies and bright pink tulips, a great sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. She placed her head back and closed her eyes...

oOo

"Come, Rin" Sesshoumaru demanded gently. Rin hurried to follow her master's orders, though with reluctance weighing her shoulders.

"Oh, but Sesshoumaru-sama! Can't we watch her dancing some more?" She asked innocently, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation of the answer. Sesshoumaru looked at her and Rin could tell he was about to say no, so she pressed on, trying to persuade him.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin continued, putting on her best puppy dog face. Her large, chocolate eyes looked at him pleadingly.

"Jaken!" The retainer bounded up to him at the call of his name.

"Yes sir?" Squawked the imp, his high pitched voice making his master inwardly grimace. He scrambled to where Sesshoumaru stood, awaiting his orders.

"Watch Rin. Keep Ah-Un with you. I doubt you will be able to protect her if something happened." He said unconcernedly.

He enjoyed ruffling Jaken with some offhanded remark and then watching him bluster and preen himself afterwards. That and taking care of Rin were some of the few things that brought him entertainment. Of course no one knew this.

"But milord! I am your faithful servant and retainer! Why must I babysit the young nuisance of a human?" Jaken squawked out, momentarily forgetting his place and talking back to his lord. An astonished look swept over his face as he realized what he had said. He bowed deeply and squealed, "I am sorry S-Sesshoumaru-sama! Please forgive this insolent servant" Jaken stuttered as his forehead knocked against the ground in his haste to make up for his disrespect. When he resurfaced from his bow a bruise was flourishing on his forehead.

"You will do as you are told," he said simply, and with that he walked away, stepping on the ugly, green imp on the way into the tangled trees and dry undergrowth of the forest.

oOo

Kagome laid there for a while, content, when she started humming her favorite song from some old, childhood movie she didn't remember anymore. Eyes still closed, and in her far away distant mind, she didn't hear the footsteps of the small girl approaching her.

Since Kagome had stopped dancing, Rin came out of the forest to talk. She squatted down next to Kagome.

The miko was still oblivious to her presence so when Rin reached out and patted her arm Kagome started. Her eyes flew open, and she sat bolt upright. She gazed down at Rin who smiled up from her spot in the flower field. Kagome's face, still bewildered, softened.

"Hi! What's your name? I'm Rin!" Rin started off loudly. Kagome blinked.

"My name is Kagome. What are you doing her all by yourself?" Kagome asked. She couldn't cover up her surprise at finding a little girl around the age of six or seven alone with no one around. Her first thought was that she was lost.

"Rin is fine; I am with my Sesshoumaru-sama! He let me stay here to talk to you!" She replied brightly.

Kagome sat there, shocked, She couldn't believe it; '_this little girl certainly can't be with Sesshoumaru… That can't be possible, he hates humans…' _

_"_S-Sesshoumaru? Are you sure?" Kagome asked, finding it hard to be told that the almighty Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands would take in a young human girl as his charge. Sesshoumaru taking in _anyone_ was surprising in itself, yet apparently he has two faithful followers, or three if you counted Ah-Un. How anyone could stand that ice prince's attitude Kagome didn't know, '_he must be a great conversation piece' _she thought sarcastically with a small smirk.

"Of course I'm sure! Sesshoumaru-sama lets me follow him around almost everywhere!" Rin stated proudly, grinning. Kagome got off of her knees and stood up, looking around to see if he was watching from nearby. A small relieved sigh came from her mouth when he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

oOo

Sesshoumaru walked, instinctively proud and graceful, through the forest, in search of a hot spring. He really needed a bath; smelling putrid did not suit a Lord of his stature. Of course the humans detected nothing, but with his demon senses he could smell himself quite strongly. When he finally saw a spring far to his left he redirected his path for it. It was rather large and surrounded by brightly colored flowers and plants.

Sesshoumaru slid his haori and under shirt off his shoulders, his well-toned upper body gleaming in the sunrays bathing the clearing. Folding them neatly, he laid them on one of the many large, slightly damp boulders surrounding the spring.

He was just about to slip off his pants when a shriek sounded from far-off; his head snapped to the direction it came, 'Rin!' Sesshoumaru thought quickly and bounded to the area he had left her, without another thought.

He got there in a matter of milliseconds. Quickly locating his charge, he spotted Rin not too far from him. He moved as a white blur until he was at her side.

His brother's miko that he had spotted dancing earlier was tickling Rin. Rin was letting out screams of laughter.

It took Kagome a few seconds to realize that someone else was now standing next to Rin. She raised her eyes to Sesshoumaru. Her eyebrows immediately shot up; he had no top on and it was hard for Kagome to tear her eyes away from more interesting parts to look up at his face.

"What's going on here?" He asked in his usual emotionless voice, though tinged with disapproval.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed "Rin missed you!" The little girl said as she hugged his leg, that was about all she came up to. "Sesshoumaru-sama, this is Kagome! She's the pretty lady that we saw earlier!" Kagome blushed deeply, "Kagome is very nice! Sesshoumaru-sama is Rin's Otousan, so can Kagome-chan be Rin's new Okaasan?" Rin asked him. She felt his hand twitch slightly on her shoulder, but thought nothing of it.

Kagome's eyes opened wide and she suddenly launched a faux coughing fit to fill the uneasy silence that followed the question.

Once Kagome was able to 'breathe' again she said, "Uhm…I don't think so, Rin." Rin looked up Sesshoumaru, "No," he said simply and icily. Rin looked crestfallen,

"Can Kagome-chan stay with us, then, Sesshy-sama?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow and looked up at Sesshoumaru; he flinched ever so slightly but didn't address Rin's pet name.

"She says that she does not want to stay with that kuso-yasha, whatever that means, anymore!"

"You will not use such language with Rin ever again, understand?" Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking Kagome square in the eyes for the first time. It was more of a command than a question, but Kagome nodded all the same.

"I didn't mean for her to hear," she mumbled, knowing his demon hearing could pick it up easily.

"Can Kagome-chan stay with us?" Rin asked again, this time adding the puppy eyes, noticing that the adults were getting off-topic. Puppy eyes always seemed to work with Sesshoumaru, maybe it's because he's a dog demon, Rin didn't know, but the great Inutaiyoukai's eyes softened.

Rin's innocence always got to him. For sure, his one vulnerability. An emotion like annoyance bubbled up in his chest, but he felt it was more from what he knew he was going to do next and not from Rin's influence over him.

"It matters not to me." Sesshoumaru said icily, his eyes piercing Kagome so bitterly that she actually cringed. If she had anywhere else she could go, that look would have sent her running for it. As the situation stood, however, this was her only offer for safety. Relative safety.

"I would greatly appreciate it if I could stay with you and Rin for a while." Kagome stated quietly.

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**A/N: Ok so she's in! Now the fun begins =) updates can be as fast as I want since all of this is written already, it's just a matter of motivation ;) tell me watchu think! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Joining Camp

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER TWO-:-:-:-:-

The golden eyes disappeared as quickly as they had come. Kagome finally lay down in a patch of vivid yellow daisies and bright pink tulips, a great sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. She placed her head back and closed her eyes...

oOo

"Come, Rin" Sesshoumaru demanded gently. Rin hurried to follow her master's orders, though with reluctance weighing her shoulders.

"Oh, but Sesshoumaru-sama! Can't we watch her dancing some more?" She asked innocently, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation of the answer. Sesshoumaru looked at her and Rin could tell he was about to say no, so she pressed on, trying to persuade him.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin continued, putting on her best puppy dog face. Her large, chocolate eyes looked at him pleadingly.

"Jaken!" The retainer bounded up to him at the call of his name.

"Yes sir?" Squawked the imp, his high pitched voice making his master inwardly grimace. He scrambled to where Sesshoumaru stood, awaiting his orders.

"Watch Rin. Keep Ah-Un with you. I doubt you will be able to protect her if something happened." He said unconcernedly.

He enjoyed ruffling Jaken with some offhanded remark and then watching him bluster and preen himself afterwards. That and taking care of Rin were some of the few things that brought him entertainment. Of course no one knew this.

"But milord! I am your faithful servant and retainer! Why must I babysit the young nuisance of a human?" Jaken squawked out, momentarily forgetting his place and talking back to his lord. An astonished look swept over his face as he realized what he had said. He bowed deeply and squealed, "I am sorry S-Sesshoumaru-sama! Please forgive this insolent servant" Jaken stuttered as his forehead knocked against the ground in his haste to make up for his disrespect. When he resurfaced from his bow a bruise was flourishing on his forehead.

"You will do as you are told," he said simply, and with that he walked away, stepping on the ugly, green imp on the way into the tangled trees and dry undergrowth of the forest.

oOo

Kagome laid there for a while, content, when she started humming her favorite song from some old, childhood movie she didn't remember anymore. Eyes still closed, and in her far away distant mind, she didn't hear the footsteps of the small girl approaching her.

Since Kagome had stopped dancing, Rin came out of the forest to talk. She squatted down next to Kagome.

The miko was still oblivious to her presence so when Rin reached out and patted her arm Kagome started. Her eyes flew open, and she sat bolt upright. She gazed down at Rin who smiled up from her spot in the flower field. Kagome's face, still bewildered, softened.

"Hi! What's your name? I'm Rin!" Rin started off loudly. Kagome blinked.

"My name is Kagome. What are you doing her all by yourself?" Kagome asked. She couldn't cover up her surprise at finding a little girl around the age of six or seven alone with no one around. Her first thought was that she was lost.

"Rin is fine; I am with my Sesshoumaru-sama! He let me stay here to talk to you!" She replied brightly.

Kagome sat there, shocked, She couldn't believe it; '_this little girl certainly can't be with Sesshoumaru… That can't be possible, he hates humans…' _

_"_S-Sesshoumaru? Are you sure?" Kagome asked, finding it hard to be told that the almighty Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands would take in a young human girl as his charge. Sesshoumaru taking in _anyone_ was surprising in itself, yet apparently he has two faithful followers, or three if you counted Ah-Un. How anyone could stand that ice prince's attitude Kagome didn't know, '_he must be a great conversation piece' _she thought sarcastically with a small smirk.

"Of course I'm sure! Sesshoumaru-sama lets me follow him around almost everywhere!" Rin stated proudly, grinning. Kagome got off of her knees and stood up, looking around to see if he was watching from nearby. A small relieved sigh came from her mouth when he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

oOo

Sesshoumaru walked, instinctively proud and graceful, through the forest, in search of a hot spring. He really needed a bath; smelling putrid did not suit a Lord of his stature. Of course the humans detected nothing, but with his demon senses he could smell himself quite strongly. When he finally saw a spring far to his left he redirected his path for it. It was rather large and surrounded by brightly colored flowers and plants.

Sesshoumaru slid his haori and under shirt off his shoulders, his well-toned upper body gleaming in the sunrays bathing the clearing. Folding them neatly, he laid them on one of the many large, slightly damp boulders surrounding the spring.

He was just about to slip off his pants when a shriek sounded from far-off; his head snapped to the direction it came, 'Rin!' Sesshoumaru thought quickly and bounded to the area he had left her, without another thought.

He got there in a matter of milliseconds. Quickly locating his charge, he spotted Rin not too far from him. He moved as a white blur until he was at her side.

His brother's miko that he had spotted dancing earlier was tickling Rin. Rin was letting out screams of laughter.

It took Kagome a few seconds to realize that someone else was now standing next to Rin. She raised her eyes to Sesshoumaru. Her eyebrows immediately shot up; he had no top on and it was hard for Kagome to tear her eyes away from more interesting parts to look up at his face.

"What's going on here?" He asked in his usual emotionless voice, though tinged with disapproval.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin squealed "Rin missed you!" The little girl said as she hugged his leg, that was about all she came up to. "Sesshoumaru-sama, this is Kagome! She's the pretty lady that we saw earlier!" Kagome blushed deeply, "Kagome is very nice! Sesshoumaru-sama is Rin's Otousan, so can Kagome-chan be Rin's new Okaasan?" Rin asked him. She felt his hand twitch slightly on her shoulder, but thought nothing of it.

Kagome's eyes opened wide and she suddenly launched a faux coughing fit to fill the uneasy silence that followed the question.

Once Kagome was able to 'breathe' again she said, "Uhm…I don't think so, Rin." Rin looked up Sesshoumaru, "No," he said simply and icily. Rin looked crestfallen,

"Can Kagome-chan stay with us, then, Sesshy-sama?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow and looked up at Sesshoumaru; he flinched ever so slightly but didn't address Rin's pet name.

"She says that she does not want to stay with that kuso-yasha, whatever that means, anymore!"

"You will not use such language with Rin ever again, understand?" Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking Kagome square in the eyes for the first time. It was more of a command than a question, but Kagome nodded all the same.

"I didn't mean for her to hear," she mumbled, knowing his demon hearing could pick it up easily.

"Can Kagome-chan stay with us?" Rin asked again, this time adding the puppy eyes, noticing that the adults were getting off-topic. Puppy eyes always seemed to work with Sesshoumaru, maybe it's because he's a dog demon, Rin didn't know, but the great Inutaiyoukai's eyes softened.

Rin's innocence always got to him. For sure, his one vulnerability. An emotion like annoyance bubbled up in his chest, but he felt it was more from what he knew he was going to do next and not from Rin's influence over him.

"It matters not to me." Sesshoumaru said icily, his eyes piercing Kagome so bitterly that she actually cringed. If she had anywhere else she could go, that look would have sent her running for it. As the situation stood, however, this was her only offer for safety. Relative safety.

"I would greatly appreciate it if I could stay with you and Rin for a while." Kagome stated quietly.

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**A/N: Ok so she's in! Now the fun begins =) updates can be as fast as I want since all of this is written already, it's just a matter of motivation ;) tell me watchu think! Thanks for reading!**


	4. The More the Merrier?

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER FOUR-:-:-:-:-

Kagome followed but was getting uncomfortable when they'd been walking for a while and Sesshoumaru had yet to say anything. Just when she was about to rend the silence, Sesshoumaru finally spoke, as if anticipating her breaking point.

"Where are your belongings, miko?" He asked without even turning to look at her or pause in his stride.

"Back at our hut...with Inuyasha," she added the last part with a hint of loathing in her voice.

"What has my hanyou brother done to make you leave his presence?" He asked before he was able to think about what he said. Kagome was taken aback by his concern, or what she thought sounded like concern.

Kagome looked up at him, and then diverted her gaze to the ground instead. She was trying to put her reason in words that would not make her seem selfish with Inuyasha since they had never officially confessed love to one another—or, Kagome never confessed _her_ love—it appeared that Inuyasha felt nothing for her.

"Nothing." She decided she didn't want to talk about it just yet, not wanting to break down in tears when the only shoulder to cry upon was Sesshoumaru's. She didn't want to appear weaker than he already thought she was.

"Fine. Your items are all I needed to be informed about. You may go back to camp now."

The way Sesshoumaru spoke reminded Kagome of the way he walked; steady, strong, unyielding. When she was about to turn and head back, she stopped abruptly in her path. She just saw something walk across her line of sight, now obscured in some bushes. Sesshoumaru slowly came to a halt as well and looked back at her. Kagome was staring, transfixed, at the place she had just seen the man.

"I saw something move over there; someone is here!" Kagome whispered just loud enough so only Sesshoumaru's demon-enhanced hearing could pick it up. He nodded knowingly; he had smelled the stench of a human male nearby about ten minutes ago though he didn't announce it. He walked a ways away, and from behind a cluster of trees he plucked a young man from his hiding spot, holding him by the back of his robes. Sesshoumaru held the claws of his other hand high above his head, ready to end the man's life when—

"Gods, Sesshoumaru, put him down!" Kagome didn't want to see anyone get cleaved in half today. Then she noticed his manner of dress.

"Miroku!" She exclaimed in shock, her heart leaping. She recognized the black and purple robes. Miroku lifted his head from its shelter beneath his arms to look at her.

"Kagome!" Miroku cried, relieved that his life wasn't at an end. He struggled under Sesshoumaru's hand which still had him hoisted up a few feet off the ground by the backs of his robe, looking very much like a kitten being held up by the skin on the back of his neck.

Sesshoumaru dropped the monk and he fairly sprinted to Kagome, tripping along the way. He enveloped her in his arms when he got to her, the enlarged sleeves of his robes shielding her against the cold night. Kagome unconsciously leant into the warmth of his embrace, thinking she'd never been so happy to see him.

"Oh, Kagome…you're safe! I was so worried!" He nuzzled his forehead in the crook of her neck.

Sesshoumaru found a sense of possessiveness towards the tiny miko emerge in his chest. Without thinking, he walked close beside her, placed a hand on her shoulder and jerked her backward, out of the monk's arms.

Kagome was unaware that she was hugging Miroku back fiercely—she was just so happy to see him. And the biggest surprise of all was that he didn't try anything that he usually would have. Not one grope to her backside.

Kagome looked up questioningly, more than a little alarmed. He, however, was looking at Miroku fixedly, nonetheless his hand dropped from her shoulder to his side.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Why had he done that? It's not like he cared for the woman. He should not have cared if she was embracing the monk. He was confused, but rationed that since she was coming back to his home that he subconsciously felt that she belonged to him, like everything else in the castle. Sesshoumaru merely pushed it aside and walked toward camp. Kagome followed and, unfortunately, the monk did the same.

oOo

Ten minutes later the houshi was around a campfire with a sleeping little girl, a miko, a toad demon, a two-headed dragon, and a taiyoukai looking distinctly disgruntled at having yet another weak human in his party. He really didn't want the monk called Miroku in his group. But, if he said no, then the human woman would be upset about not having her friend, then Rin wouldn't be happy, and Rin was the most important person to him besides himself, of course.

And on top of all this, he still didn't have his bath.

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**A/N: So Miroku's tagging along as well! Gosh, what is **_**up**_** with Inuyasha and Sango? Heehee we'll find out as the story continues ;) **

**This was another short chappie; a lot was cut out, but it's a necessary evil. Don't worry though, the chapters get much, much longer as we get into things.**

**I've been updating pretty quickly so far and I hope to keep it this way! As long as I feel like I have an audience, the story will keep unfolding!**

**Thank you all for your kind words, they mean a lot!**

**JA NE!**


	5. Whoops

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER FIVE-:-:-:-:-

It was morning.

Sesshoumaru promised himself the night before that he _would_ have his bath today. He was NOT going to waltz into his castle smelling to high heaven, especially since the only residents there were demons: solders, servants and chefs. But all of them had the similar sensitive nose as Sesshoumaru.

Kagome was very bored; neither Sesshoumaru nor Miroku were here. Sesshoumaru walked off into the woods some time ago and Miroku went back to the hut to get Kagome's bag, she wasn't too keen on seeing Inuyasha getting cuddly with Sango. She was still very sore on the matter.

"Hey Rin, do you think another flower field is around here somewhere?" She asked the little girl sitting aside her. She wanted to get up and do something. When she was with Inuyasha he always was moving, and always doing something, so Kagome was now restless, having to stay here for a long time.

"I don't know Kagome-chan, why don't we go look?" Kagome could easily tell Rin was not the type of girl to sit and do nothing either. "Can we?" she pressed.

"Uh... I don't know. Sesshoumaru isn't here..." Kagome didn't want Sesshoumaru mad at her; he could cleave her head from her body in a fraction of a second and not think anything of it.

Kagome decided that she would take her bow and arrow and Ah-Un with them for protection and leave Jaken in the clearing in case Sesshoumaru or Miroku came back while they were gone.

oOo

Sesshoumaru walked through the forest, searching for the spring he saw the other day. His usual scent was covered up in the smell of woods and sweat, he couldn't stand it anymore.

As he walked he perked up his elfish-looking ears to try and catch the soft, trickling sound of water. Or try to seize the scent of water vapor sweetened with the smell of lush plants that would usually grow around a spring.

oOo

Ah-Un wasn't looking so well. Their eyes were cloudy, their scales had a dullish look to them, and they had trouble standing. He was weak.

"Rin…Maybe we shouldn't go after all, Ah-Un doesn't look so hot." Kagome said, looking at the demon with concern even though they insisted with nudges that they would still be willing to serve.

"Hot? Why would you want him to look hot?" Rin asked, not understanding the term.

"I meant that he doesn't look good." Kagome corrected herself.

"Rin thinks Ah-Un looks fine…see? He wants to go." Rin laughed as the dragon nudged her side.

"…Well…alright then." Kagome still looked unconvinced, but hoisted Rin onto the beast's back.

Sesshoumaru wasn't going to like it if Kagome hurt his pack animal, but she couldn't say no to Rin's adorable face. She struggled to drag herself up behind Rin then pulled the reigns to tell the immense beast to ascend. They flew straight up and over the canopies of the forest. Rin and Kagome looked around quickly, searching for a field.

"Look, Kagome-chan, there!" Rin cried out excitedly and pointed. Kagome swiveled in the direction Rin was gesturing. Clearly visible was a small multi-colored patch a bit less than a mile behind them.

"C'mon Ah-Un" Kagome grunted, pulling the reigns to tell them to turn. "We have to go _this_ way." She motioned with her head behind them. The dragon turned slowly and headed toward the field.

At about half way the dragon underneath the two girls started shaking.

Kagome was worried for Rin's safety; if they were to be stranded without protection, besides Kagome's archery weapons, surely Sesshoumaru would never let her be around Rin again. And Kagome liked the girl very much. She also valued her own life. Being on the bad side of Sesshoumaru was sure to cast her in a dangerous shadow.

She pulled the reigns to signal the beast downward. Ah-Un couldn't handle carrying Rin and Kagome. So she decided to walk the rest of the way; when they landed, she got off.

"Rin, I don't think Ah-Un is very strong right now, I think it would be better if they just took you there. I'll come about ten minutes after you get there. Okay?"

"Ah-Un?" the dragon turned its heads in her direction, "keep watch on Rin till I get there, okay? Can you handle that?" She asked concernedly. The faithful pack youkai nodded its heads. "Thanks a bunch."

Rin nodded her head so Kagome patted Ah-Un on their hind leg and the beast kicked off the ground with Rin on his back. Kagome watched as they were lost from view behind the trees.

She mounted her bow over her shoulder, took a heaving sigh, and started to pick her way through the thick forest. Suddenly she heard the sound of gently splashing water and felt the change in the air: the crisp forest air turned warm, balmy. She looked around curiously.

Kagome spotted quite a large hot spring about fifty paces away; it had beautiful plants and rock and boulder formations all around it. She suddenly spotted a particularly striking flower '_Oh! Rin would love this one! It's beautiful!' _Kagome excitedly thought.

In the thoughts of picking Rin a beautiful flower, then to rejoin her in the field, she strode quickly to the spring.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, a drenched, silvery-white head emerged and broke the crystalline surface of the spring…

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**A/N: Hahaha, uh ohhh! What will Kagome do now! She got herself into quite a spot! ;)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**JA NE**


	6. Carry On

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER SIX-:-:-:-:-

Kagome absolutely froze, standing stock-still, breathing shallow. The almighty Sesshoumaru didn't even hear her with his ultrasensitive hearing, and the water vapor surrounding the spring was clouding his nose from her scent.

That's the only reason Sesshoumaru hated baths: he felt vulnerable. Not even in his sleep could someone achieve the task of surprising him.

As he emerged he shook his head to rid his long locks of water.

Kagome robotically stepped back once and lo-and-behold, she managed to tread on just about the most dry, crunchy twig in the whole damn forest. It snapped under her foot and to Kagome it felt like the sound reverberated off of every tree in the suddenly hushed forest. The birds and frogs and bugs seemed to just go silent on her, the one moment when she really could have used some backdrop sounds to muffle her mistake. Not like it would help much anyway. She cringed at the loud noise, knowing she was in trouble now.

Sesshoumaru was half way out of the water, his hips almost breaking the surface of temperate spring water when his head snapped in her direction and his piercing, furious molten eyes locked on her, his face holding the ultra-rare emotion of pure shock.

Kagome was confident she was the only individual, breathing and alive, to have seen such an emotion on his usually impassive features. Breathing and alive as of yet.

oOo

Sesshoumaru wasn't going to run, running from situations is not what a lord did; he slowly lowered his body back into the water. Planted his feet solidly into the soft sands on the bottom of the spring and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her, his features plainly saying 'Get. The hell. Out of here'.

Kagome backed away slowly "I-I-I'm so sorry!" She breathed, then turned and ran.

Minutes later she arrived at the flower field, chest heaving. She spotted Rin lying on top of a large boulder, protruding from about the center of the field. Ah-Un was asleep next to her.

'_So much for watching her.' _Kagome thought but then withdrew the notion. Setting such a task of watching an over active little child on a weak, sick demon wasn't very fair.

"Hey! I'm here!" Kagome jogged up to the young child, out of breath and images of the 'incident' roaming into her mind.

"Kagome-chan! Why were you late? Did something happen?" the young girl asked with concern.

"No, Rin. I'm fine." She assured her.

"Alright…" she said, sounding unconvinced, "so…do you want to play tag, then?" excitement laced slowly into her tone, her eyes beginning to shine in anticipation.

"Yeah, sure, Rin," agreed Kagome, still tired from her little run, but more than happy to act as if nothing ever happened.

oOo

Sesshoumaru stayed in the water a little while longer after the miko had run off, thinking about what happened.

That stupid girl! How dare she pry into his business! She almost saw him unclothed. The only people to see him without clothes had been his mother…And Rin, on accident.

On occasion he might walk around his castle shirtless but that would only be when he just took a bath and he didn't want to get his haori wet, but that's it. But…the main thing he was worried about was that he didn't mind too much about what she saw.

He let out a sigh. Why was he thinking of this woman so frequently? A couple days with her and she was in his mind a good deal of the time. What was she? Some type of sorceress? Again he chalked it up to his growing pack and alpha mentality.

Sesshoumaru elegantly hauled himself over the border of the spring, all the way out this time. Crystal, steaming droplets of spring water trickled down his fair, flawless hide, dancing around the ridges of muscle.

He strode over to his clothes on one of the boulders and put them on, deep in thought.

oOo

"Come on Kagome, Catch me!" Rin screamed back at Kagome. She was struggling to keep up with the small girl who was like a bouncy-ball of pure energy.

"Ahh, Rin! Slow down! You're too fast!" Kagome called out to the young girl ahead of her. Rin slowed down considerably, and Kagome caught her.

"Got you!" even though she knew Rin had let her, she said it triumphantly.

Kagome and Rin played until it was late in the afternoon and they spotted Sesshoumaru and Jaken soaring overhead on his Youkai cloud—the great mass of white energy solid enough to stand on.

Kagome noticed before Rin, so when she came to an abrupt halt, the child sprinted directly into the back of her knees.

The thoughts of what occurred a couple hours before arrived back into Kagome's mind. She wondered how Sesshoumaru would feel and act around her now…Kagome knew she felt uneasy about being near him.

"Come, Rin…Miko," he didn't look at her, "We're leaving."

When walking back into the forest to collect the rest of their things from the camp site, they came upon Miroku. He was stumbling through the thick trees looking quite lost. He gave off a very strong impression of a tourist: lost, and with an unnaturally colored backpack attached to his shoulder. All he needed now to complete the look was a wide-rimmed sunhat and a sunburn.

The transportation was limited with Ah-Un still weak. Sesshoumaru assumed the pack demon could carry the monk, Rin and the toad at maximum, but what of Kagome?

He thought it through quickly, to find some other solution than what he knew was inevitable. Rin and Jaken were both of inconsequential weight and only Youkai could safely ride on top of his youkai cloud…meaning he would have to carry either the miko or the houshi. Knowing which one was going to have to happen didn't make it any easier to stomach.

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**A/N: Oh boy, I wonder how this will work out ^_^**

**Thanks for the lovely words, you guys are great!**

**JA NE!**


	7. The Ride

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER SEVEN:-:-:-:-:-

While Sesshoumaru was mentally cursing his predicament, Kagome began to comprehend what would have to happen.

She eyed Rin, Miroku and Jaken. They were all already situated on Ah-Un's back, the reigns held loosely in the monk's fingers.

Rin was already dozing off, leaning back against Miroku—for some unknown reason he had an innate ability with children. Sesshoumaru wouldn't disturb Rin while she was sleeping, so carrying her was out.

And no way in hell would he carry the monk, obviously, and Jaken didn't matter; his small weight didn't have an impact to Ah-Un. So his only alternative was to cart Kagome.

They both let out long inaudible sighs at almost the exact same time. His broad shoulders sagged slightly for a few second, then he grudgingly thrust out his hand at Kagome. She stared from his elegant hand and his strong, slender fingers to his unreadable visage, hesitating.

He resisted rolling his eyes as he reached out his hand farther, grasping hers, and lifted her into his arms, bridal style.

Kagome gasped as she suddenly found herself resting in a pair of incredibly strong arms. The youkai cloud lifted them off the ground, Kagome looked up; Sesshoumaru had a weird look in his eyes.

She moved her hand from her lap and, after a short falter, lightly patted his shoulder for a short moment. She felt his muscles twitch very slightly. Sesshoumaru glanced down; his golden orbs met Kagome's and in that second she realized that Sesshoumaru wasn't emotionless at all, every emotion was hidden in his eyes instead of being in his face.

oOo

When Sesshoumaru's youkai cloud had gently lifted the two off the ground and started to soar over the trees, he got a face-full of air thick with Kagome's sweet scent.

When he first caught it he felt woozy, his impassive face turned to stone. He didn't so much as blink as a scent like jasmine invaded his over sensitive nose. His jaw was clenched tight to bite down on the initial groan that wanted to tumble off the tip of his tongue.

His grip on the tiny miko in his arms was reminiscent of a statue until a petite hand lightly touched his shoulder, bringing him out of the daze. He had to consciously focus on releasing himself from his rigor mortis-like state.

He glanced down at Kagome, she was looking at him with a strange look in her eye but the demon lord turned his gaze determinedly back to the skies, breaking their connection. After a few seconds, Kagome did the same; however, she did not dwell on the demon lord's presence. Her eyes turned downwards, out of the sky and into the passing forest.

She gaped at the scenery, the unbroken, green tree tops zipping underneath them almost made her dizzy.

Eventually, though, Kagome became bored of the never ending forest and her eye lids grew heavy.

…

The young miko awoke warm and comfortable, her face was nestled into the softest silk she'd ever felt. She was being held in strong arms and subsequently laid quickly in a bed, the soft silken sheets rustled then drew up to her neck.

Kagome's eyes snapped open, all the events up till then came back and flooded her psych. She gazed up and saw Sesshoumaru starting to lean away from her. His hair had fallen like curtains over his shoulders, making a frame around his stern face and sharp eyes. She took a small breath as if to say something, but he had already turned to leave.

oOo

Sesshoumaru put the miko into one of the thousand guest rooms in the castle—for some reason he put her in the best room besides Rin's and his own. Afterwards, he went to his study. After being away from his castle for so long, patrolling his lands, Sesshoumaru's paper work had piled up like always. He entered his study and immediately spotted a large stack on his desk. He sighed. There would be no sleeping tonight.

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**A/N: Hey guys! (^o^)// Another chappie up and out ^_^**

**Looks like Sesshoumaru has an affinity for out little miko's scent!**

**Next chapter we get a look around the castle so stay tuned :P Thanks for reading!**

**JA NE!**


	8. Happy Meal

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER EIGHT-:-:-:-:-

"KAGOME-CHAN!" Rin screamed, hopping onto Kagome's soft bed, jumping up and down until the miko cracked an eye open.

"Rin? What time is it?" She moaned grumpily.

"It's time to get up of course, nee-chan!" Rin replied happily, dragging the silken sheets off her. The cool castle air hit her warm body and she groaned again. She quickly shielded her closed eyes with the back of her arm as Rin bounded off the soft, down bed and threw open the intricately engraved balcony doors. The blindingly bright morning sun painfully shrank her pupils. They had been comfortably accustomed to the darkness of under her covers, which were probably half way across the room at the moment.

"C'mon Kagome-chan! Breakfast is ready!" Rin announced to the half-awake miko. "Sesshoumaru-sama is probably already there!" Kagome slid out of the heavenly bed and staggered, heavy lidded, across her quarters to the bathroom. She noted blithely that everything was either marble or stone. Obviously Sesshoumaru demanded only the best furnishings to be present in his castle.

His place of residence probably had the most advanced technology of the feudal time. The bathroom had a sink which poured out water, and a tub that did the same. It looked like a small hot spring with a miniature waterfall that discharged the temperature of your choosing into the pool. No other place, castle or not, that she knew of in this time period had pipe structures to bring water out of the pure gold spouts.

It was either technology or magic, which Kagome had a small sneaking suspicion it might be. The feudal era had youkai, monks and priestesses with spiritual powers—why not mages with magical powers?

When Kagome freshened up and changed from her clothes, the two girls made their way to the dining hall, Rin leading the way. Kagome tried to map out the route in her head, but the castle was absolutely gargantuan. Kagome truly wondered how long it took to build it.

Sesshoumaru likely inherited it from his father, passed down the line of dog demon lords, along with the inheritance of all of the western lands, which someday Sesshoumaru's heir would have to take over. For some reason Kagome had a hard time picturing that. Icy, impassive, cold, ruthless, emotionless Sesshoumaru having an heir, it was simply hard to grasp.

But then again, he was the most beautiful demon in all the land and his sensual voice accompanied with those piercing, x-ray eyes would make any demoness of his choosing fairly melt.

Rin asked Kagome to go see where Sesshoumaru was when he was no where to be seen at the breakfast table. So, she asked one of the servants to take her up to his study.

oOo

Sesshoumaru awoke in his desk chair in a downright undignified position. His legs were spaciously wide apart, his head was lolling backwards, and his mouth was sagging open. Swiftly fixing his posture, thanking the gods he had not been discovered by anyone in such a pose, he realized what had brought back into consciousness: the sweet scent of jasmine. Then he picked up the sounds of a steady heart beat and soft breathing right outside the door to his study, then a small voice floated through the doors.

"Sesshoumaru?" She sounded timid and quiet, not wanted to disturb him.

He looked out of the stained glass window of his study. It was the break of dawn.

"Sesshoumaru, Rin says breakfast is prepared to be served." Kagome declared softly.

"Hai." He answered simply. Sesshoumaru waited until he heard the echoes of the miko's light footsteps retreating back to the dining hall. After a few seconds he stood up and stretched his sore, stiff muscles. Being in a sitting position for the whole night was never easy on the muscles in his back, of course in only bothered him a tiny bit, but it was still uncomfortable.

As he passed one of his large mirrors, he stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his appearance, shocked. Looking at the mirror he saw that his clothes were disheveled and his hair was fuzzy and knotted, instead of straight and silken.

He fixed his unlordly appearance quickly before he opened the door to go to breakfast. He was usually the first one down, even before Rin. But this was one of the few occasions where the necessity for sleep overcame him. He hadn't slept in probably over a week.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Good morning!" Rin announced loudly as soon as he set foot in the dining hall. Her earsplitting greeting bounced and echoed off of the heavy stone walls.

"Good morning, Rin." He said, wincing slightly as the deafening noise hit his delicate, elf-looking demon ears.

Waltzing straight passed where Kagome sat, he seated himself at the head of the long table with Rin and Kagome on either side of him. Rin started her joyful talk of how she had a chat with her favorite servants and told them the things they missed while they were out and what not. Kagome nodded now and then to show Rin she was listening, but in truth she only heard about the first sentence. Kagome drifted off into her own little place in her mind for a while.

Miroku chose that moment to stroll into the dining hall, robes askew, and hair all over the place. He yawned, scratched the back of his head, and stretched his other arm simultaneously.

The houshi sauntered to the chair next to Kagome, drew it out for himself and plopped down on its cushiony surface. He reached for the many various provisions off a serving platter and piled his plate high with breakfast items.

Once he already wolfed down a fillet of fish and started on a bowl of rice, he looked up. Everyone was staring at him. Kagome had her chopsticks half way to her mouth which was hanging open a bit. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand was staring at him with a fixed expression, his utensils resting on his plate with the handles held delicately between his fingers. Rin was softly snickering.

"Wha-Whas efferie wun wookin it?" Miroku choked out, mouth full of food.

"Monk," Sesshoumaru addressed him curtly, "if you are going to stay here you are going to present yourself in a dignified manner." He ordered; looking reasonably disgusted by Miroku's etiquette.

He wasn't used to people being so loose around him, except for Rin. He was used to people being up tight in his presence and scared of him. That's probably why he loved Rin so much, she was never afraid of him, and he didn't want her to be. The monk, however, did not extract that emotion from him.

"Oh, uh, right." The shameless monk mumbled. He gave a great gulp and swallowed all the food in his mouth, then quickly fixed his disorganized robes and smoothed out his dark, spiky hair.

Miroku grinned at Rin, and then put on a face duplicate of Sesshoumaru's impassive features; he straightened his back to sit up with better posture.

Rin giggled and looked back and forth between Sesshoumaru and the monk, as if trying to spot something he missed. The great inu taiyoukai looked as if he would honestly like nothing better than to take the golden chopsticks that were now held delicately in Miroku's hand, mirroring his own, and thrust them into his upturned nose.

After the…interesting…breakfast was finished, Sesshoumaru disappeared into his study again. Rin bounced up to Kagome and took her hand, and then Miroku's and led them to the Entrance Hall, to the great oak front doors.

Both double doors where painstakingly engraved with all kinds of designs of dragons and inu youkai in their true forms. The gigantic dogs that looked sort of like cocker spaniels where rearing on their hind legs and some where even sinking their meter-and-half long fangs into the nearest dragon. Rin pulled the two staggering people out of the Entrance Hall and out into the castle grounds.

To Kagome's total astonishment the vast grounds were covered with all types of flowers: most likely Rin's influence. Roses, daffodils, tulips, you name it and it was there, swaying in the morning breeze.

The small girl hauled Miroku and Kagome out into the grounds with surprising strength for a seven year old child. It was a magnificently temperate day.

Birds were chirping, the bubbling and gurgling sound signaling a stream nearby could be audibly heard, the sky was bright blue and not a cloud was to be seen. Kagome, being from the future didn't get to appreciate the beauty of nature very often.

Kagome grinned down at the little girl who had grown on her so fast then suddenly both of them took off at once, leaving the clueless monk, Miroku, in the dust.

"Ah! Hey! Come back you two!" he cried desperately. Miroku took two half hearted steps in the direction Kagome and Rin had shot off in.

Since his little shenanigan that morning he guessed Sesshoumaru wasn't going to be too fond of him from now on and he didn't fancy running into him on his own without Rin's presence to protect him.

oOo

Sesshoumaru positively _hated_ paperwork. While he was alone he would always let his emotionless mask slip. Specifically when he was alone or around Rin was when he would get off his high horse and act like a normal person would. But alas, he grudgingly had his hind parts parked in his velvet, high backed, regal-looking desk chair. He was signing long pieces of parchment containing all kinds of petty things from the villages in his lands, demon and human, when he heard the sounds of joyful playing outside. He stood up and walked to the balcony of the study. He sighed deeply.

"Such a day should not be wasted," he said under his breath in justification of leaving his work behind. He glanced from the open skies and rolling hills of grass and flowers, then to his monotonous, tedious paperwork. Easy choice.

He leapt lightly and easily onto the balcony's stone railing, balancing masterfully on it, and then in the blink of an eye his long, powerful legs sprung from the rail. He effortlessly jumped about thirty feet in the air before starting to descend. The strikingly handsome taiyoukai landed soundlessly amid the soft grasses and vibrant colored, fragrant flowers of all kinds. He quickly spotted his favorite stone bench a small distance to his right. He strolled slowly to it and let out a long, slow breath as he sat down, letting all his stress flow out. Sesshoumaru leant back his head and closed his eyes…

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**A/N: Haha funny stuff with Miroku. I wonder what would happen if Sessh decided to repay him? lol that coulda been fun, too bad I didn't think of that before. So anyway this chapter we got a little look around the castle. I imagined something similar to Hogwarts castle when I was writing this, so maybe that helps you get a picture.**

**Sooo yeah. Not much to say here…next chapter will be up soon like always, send me a nice review, I like to hear all your thoughts! Thanks for reading**

**JA NE!**


	9. The Heat Scent

:-:-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER NINE:-:-:-:-:-:

"Whew, I'm tired." Rin exclaimed, panting and out of breath. She had shown Kagome all the things she could do—handstands, cartwheels, somersaults and the like. "Do you want to go inside? I can show you around if you want." She said exhaustedly.

"Thank you, I would love that, Rin," Kagome said, patting the young girl's back affectionately. "But why don't you go on ahead inside and get some water and rest a bit first?" The miko suggested smoothly, "I want to look around the grounds a little more, okay?"

"Alright," Rin said, "See ya at dinner!" she called back at her, already half way across the courtyard to the Entrance Hall doors. "I wonder where master Jaken is…" Kagome heard her say before a high pitched squeak sounded. She had a feeling that was the ugly green toad in question was getting pounced upon by a laughing little girl as of now. Even the fact that she was plumb tired didn't slow her down.

Kagome chuckled lightly under her breath. What a fun evening Jaken was going to have! The miko wandered aimlessly about the gardens. While doing so, a beautiful stone bench entered her line of sight, and sitting in it was an even more handsome taiyoukai. Kagome quickly made up her mind after a brief hesitation and turned her pace towards the demon.

oOo

Sesshoumaru instantly picked up the scent of sweet jasmine growing closer and closer.

'_Not a bad scent for a human._' Sesshoumaru admitted unthinkingly—then admonished himself. '_Why would I think that? She is a human and therefore, her stench is unbearable. Or at least it should be… I wonder why it is that Rin has become so attached to her. She is nothing special.' _He thought to himself firmly, even though in the pit of his stomach he knew he was lying to himself. '_There is no way that I enjoy the human's presence. __The miko woman is here only for Rin! I have no interest whatsoever in a filthy human like her.'_ He thought resolutely, though in truth, deep down, with no idea how to make his involuntary feelings into words, he was surprised that Kagome was very pleasant to be around, almost refreshing.

Sesshoumaru inadvertently growled quite audibly, a low rumble from his chest. Kagome stopped in her tracks, thinking he growled at her. The Taiyoukai opened his striking golden orbs and gazed at the tiny miko. She took the last few steps to the bench and sat down on the hard seat. The cold stone hit her bare legs, making her repress a shiver.

"Hey," Kagome said quietly, drawing her hands between the bench and her legs to lessen the chilly feel.

"What do you want, miko?" He said exasperatedly. He had things to think about, such as why he was attracted to the girl sitting next to him, or, more accurately, why he didn't find her revolting. She was a filthy ningen woman, how could she affect him at all?

"Nothing…I just wanted to talk..." she said reproachfully. It seemed to Kagome that he was quite flustered; he answered her simple greeting in an annoyed, impatient manner. He didn't say anything back so they sat there in uncomfortable silence. Kagome had her head directed forward and tilted slightly downward, she glanced at him now and then, out of the corner of her eye.

"Well?" Sesshoumaru said, irritated that she wasn't talking, which was usually the exact opposite of what he would want. He knew she was feeling uneasy, he could smell it in her scent, just like he could smell fear and happiness and other emotions if they were strong.

"So what do you do here all the time?" Kagome asked.

"Paperwork." He replied distractedly, unbeknownst to Kagome the conversation was becoming a struggle to grasp for the taiyoukai; the miko's scent was almost clouding his head one hundred percent. He clenched his jaw.

"Ungh…" an involuntary low-pitched groan slipped out from between his gritted fangs and his spine tightened as he tried to pull his attention together to form something coherent. He suddenly realized why her scent was affecting him. That stupid miko was in heat! That shouldn't affect him! Why was his head clouding and his thoughts fragmenting?

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Kagome turned on the bench so she was facing him. "Are you alright?" She asked hurriedly, concern lacing into her voice and her already overpowering scent. He clenched his teeth harder and bent his long slender fingers into fists.

"Go." He commanded suddenly, ruthlessly. His eyes slightly wild. "Get away from me."

"Sesshoumaru! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Kagome jumped off the bench and held a hand out to grab his and try to comfort him, but in mid-motion…

"GET AWAY NOW!" he bellowed, his harsh voice rung in Kagome's ears. She snatched back her hand and threw both of them in front of her, as if warding off a blow. She slowly lowered her hands and backed away a few steps then turned tail and ran.

Once she was gone Sesshoumaru let out a loud growl. It took all of his self control to manage himself.

Such was the power of a demoness in heat. But she was a human. And a powerful of youkai like himself should never have been affected by their cycles. It was a phenomenon indeed.

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**A/N: *"Heat" is when a woman is most fertile. Usually one specific day a year when it's much more than usual. (creative license :P)**

**Sorry for the late update, folks! I caught a bad cold and felt really terrible. I just cant deal with a crappy computer on days like that or it would be out my window lol. **

**So yes, this is a short chapter…later in the story they get muuuuuch longer. Next update will be soon, I promise. ^_^**

**Please review, and…**

**JA NE!**


	10. Akina

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER TEN:-:-:-:-:-:-:

Kagome arrived in the great hall, chest heaving and Sesshoumaru's voice still ringing in her head.

'_What did I do wrong? Why is he so mad at me? I don't understand. All I wanted to do was talk, why'd he get so furious? Why does he hate me so much? I'm really trying my hardest to be friendly—'_

"KAGOME-CHAN!" Rin cried, Kagome turned her head to the left; despite the situation, the sight she saw just made her want to cry from laughter. Rin, who was a good foot taller than Jaken was getting a piggy-back ride from the panting toad demon. Jaken was facing away from Kagome and Rin was looking back at her with a delighted expression on her cute young face.

"Come _on_ Jaken!" Rin grunted as she pulled his left pointed ear to try and make him turn around. He cringed and gradually turned on his shaky, unstable knees. Kagome thought for sure Jaken was going to collapse after a few more steps, and sure enough in a couple seconds the impish toad demon was getting a splendid and probably painful view of the cold, hard marble floor. He looked very much like Inuyasha after getting sat.

"Aw, Jaken. C'mon, get up. Pleeeeasse?" Rin bounced up and down on the poor youkai's back.

"Gerrof, Frin!" Jaken's muffled voice yelled. The small child grudgingly hopped off the youkai pancake of a Jaken. He unpeeled his face from the ground in time to see Rin jump into the awaiting arms of Kagome, and to see Sesshoumaru walk into the great hall. He was frowning, had his fists clenched, and was resolutely looking forward. He walked determinedly to the stairs which led to his chambers.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Good evening!" Rin greeted her distracted lord. He didn't even turn his head in her direction; his only acknowledgement of her being a quick ruffle of her hair as he passed. After a few more strides he was climbing the magnificent marble stairs to the upper floors of the immense castle.

Kagome watched him ascend the steps, eyebrows knitted together.

'_What's wrong with him?' _Kagome's eyes couldn't hide her concern as she watched the lord disappear from view. Before she could think anymore on the matter, Miroku walked into the great hall, chatting and laughing with a woman. He looked up and spotted Kagome.

"Kagome, there you are! Have you met Akina? She lives here with Sesshoumaru."

"No, it's good to meet you," Kagome said, bowing cordially, her mind still spinning, echoing with the lord's outburst.

"You as well!" Akina replied with a bright smile, making Kagome's head calm a bit.

The miko looked at her; she had fair, unblemished skin, wavy, pale golden hair that fell to the middle of her back, and illuminating, light violet eyes. The soft curves of her face made her look like a very peaceful woman. She had slender legs and slim hips, the light purple kimono she wore, apart from perfectly matching her eyes, hugged every curve of her body. For some reason, to Kagome, Akina looked almost exactly like Midoriko, except her hair and eye color.

"How long have you lived with Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked politely.

"Oh…hmm," she scratched her chin, appearing to think hard, "Well probably around 900 years."

Kagome choked, her eyes rounding, "900 years?!"

"Just about," she laughed. "I'm curious to know how you came to be here. Do you know Sesshoumaru well?"

"Uhh…well I don't really know him at all. And I don't know how I'll do that, he's so distant." Kagome confessed.

"Oh well its no wonder you think he's cold and emotionless, don't worry, that's just the image he wants others to see." Akina winked and laughed warmly.

Kagome had a sudden thought. "Are you Sesshoumaru's sister?!" The math was about right. But if Sesshoumaru had an additional full-demon sibling, why did he never talk about her to Inuyasha? Surely he would have rubbed it in his face.

"Oh heavens, no! I'm an old family friend! Our families go way back," the demoness informed her.

"Oh, so you're a dog demon too?" She asked, intrigued since she hadn't known there were any others. Kagome liked Akina very much; she could feel that they would be great friends.

"Nope. Unicorn." She said as bluntly and easily as chatting about tomorrow's weather.

"A-a what now?" Kagome was shocked, a unicorn? "But you look positively human!" She couldn't grasp that the woman standing in front of her was a unicorn! The ideal characters of fairytale books spanning her timeline, and one was standing right in front of her! By the expression on Miroku's face he hadn't known either, apparently he was too distracted by her beauty to ask otherwise important questions.

"A unicorn! My lady, that's absolutely amazing!" Miroku exclaimed. He suddenly grasped her hand in his and, then and there, asked his infamous question. "Will you bear my children?"

He bowed his head, closed his eyes and braced himself for the usual slap that followed…when nothing happened he cracked an eye open and tilted his head up slightly. Akina was laughing.

"I'll think about it, okay?" she laughed in a joking voice. Miroku looked positively delighted.

Akina turned toward Kagome who was still chuckling at the monk's reaction and said,

"I look human because, our clans were hunted in ancient times. Our blood can remedy the deadliest of sicknesses, the hair of our manes and our coats are stronger than any material of this earth, and our horns can slay any demon, no matter how powerful. We had to adapt a safe form so we could walk the earth out of harm's way."

"That's terrible," Kagome breathed. "But you haven't lost the ability to transform, right? How come you don't have any demon markings?" She inquired.

"I do." The beautiful demoness said simply. She swept aside her pale golden bangs to reveal a light violet circle that also matched her eyes, marked on her forehead, where her horn presumably would be. "And I can still transform to my true figure, yes." She answered.

"So how did yours and Sesshoumaru's families meet?" Kagome asked, she had been wondering for a while.

"Didn't you know? Dog demons where created by a cross-breeding between unicorns and wolf demons. Unicorns have always been close to dog demons since we share ancient blood relatives. Sesshoumaru and I are the same age and were in the same position to inherit land so we very quickly became friends," the unicorn woman explained.

"Wow, now that's interesting." Kagome pondered on it for a second, then she heard light footsteps and turned to see Sesshoumaru descending the cold, marble stairs. He looked normal now, his usual impassive features back in place. He waltzed passed Kagome, while holding his breath, careful as to not breathe in her scent.

"Good evening, Akina." He said indifferently, in his deep, rich voice.

"Same to you, Sesshy-kun!" She replied in a bubbly voice, using his pet name. He gracefully walked out of the Entrance Hall doors and into the gardens…

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**A/N: Oh man, sorry for such a late update, my comp crashed and I had to get it fixed up, luckily my files were backed up. **

**So here, we meet Akina again (yes, again. Read 'In His Footsteps', please). She is an important OC in my stories. Nexy chapter will be soon for realz. Give me a review, and**

**JA NE**


	11. The Explanation?

:-:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER ELEVEN:-:-:-:-:

Sesshoumaru made his way down the Entrance Hall steps, passed the miko and Akina still chatting about her clans past, and passed the monk just standing there ogling at Akina with a small drop of spit forming and ready to drop out of his open, sagging mouth.

He smelt easily that Rin was following him, she was currently crouched behind a rosebush, giggling. He smirked, one arm behind his back he bent forward at the waist, pretending to smell the perfectly tended white roses.

Then suddenly he swooped behind the thorny stems and encircled Rin in his arms. Pure peals of laughter sprang from Rin's throat. He pulled her back and held her tightly against his chest; a rare smile graced his features. And not one of those smirk type smiles he used to scare Jaken with. This was a real, happy smile, his needle sharp fangs glinting in the light from the setting sun.

"Oh, look at them! I've never seen him act so…so…normal." Kagome commented as she watched Sesshoumaru embrace Rin from the giant, open door.

"Of course. He loves Rin very much. He'd risk his life for her without a thought." A gentle smile touched the faces of both women as the great and powerful taiyoukai lord of the vast western lands began tickling the small human child.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama! I c-can't breathe!" Rin panted, covering her sides, trying to get him to stop so she could inhale. Sesshoumaru heeded her request and let her breathe. Kagome saw his mouth moving, talking to Rin but she was too far away to hear, Rin nodded. He stood up and circled an arm around her shoulder, then looked over his own, as he gazed from woman to woman. They were both looking at him in the same way: gentle smiles, and a far-off look in their eyes.

'_Hmph, what're they looking at?' _He thought, Sesshoumaru shrugged and turned around and walked, with Rin, deeper into the immeasurable flower field surrounding the castle.

"Kagome-chan! Come on! We're gonna go to the hot springs!" Rin shrieked innocently to Kagome, whose previously gentle smile immediately slipped off her face to be replaced by a shocked, horror-struck grimace.

But before either of the grown-ups could utter a word Rin had sprinted easily back to Kagome, attached her hand to her own and haul her down the small flight of stairs that led away from the Entrance Hall doors.

Ushered by Rin, both Sesshoumaru and Kagome where dragged in tow of the small child with amazing strength, apparently living with Sesshoumaru can do that to a person.

"Why don't you stop her?! She's YOUR foster daughter!" Kagome hissed urgently to the taiyoukai getting pulled beside her. He shot her a glare for talking to him in such a familiar way. After all, he was still lord here.

"I can't," he said simply. Kagome was thunder struck. Since when did Sesshoumaru admit he couldn't do...well...anything?! "Once she makes up her mind about something," he continued, "no one can stop her." Sesshoumaru finished bluntly.

"But…but…don't you get it? We're going to have to _bathe_ together!" Kagome hissed again, this time with a shudder as she gazed with horror at the taiyoukai. Sesshoumaru sighed. This miko didn't actually believe he, a mighty demon lord, would bathe with a lowly human, did she? Preposterous.

Sesshoumaru suddenly halted, digging his heels into the ground to stop Rin also.

"Rin, why don't we go pick some flowers instead?" he asked emotionlessly. Rin's small face brightened even more and the small girl's clutches lessened around the two adults she loved, and she looked up at both of them with a growing grin on her face.

"Of course, Lord Sesshoumaru! I'd love that!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, Rin regripped Kagome and Sesshoumaru's hands and happily skipped back into the midst of the flower field.

"Hey, I thought you said nothing could stop her!" Kagome whispered to him, though she sighed with relief.

"You can't…but you can distract her." He said with a smirk.

All the while Sesshoumaru tried to hold his breath as much as he could to prevent the scent of that miko getting to him. A few minutes earlier, when Kagome asked in her realization that they would have to have bathed together, even though his mouth disagreed, his instincts were saying 'Yes! Yes! Yes!'

Kagome wondered why Sesshoumaru was staying so far away from her, was he still mad? Wait…she didn't even know what he was mad about!

"Hey, Rin." Kagome called to the child about ten yards from her. "Take a look at this one!" Rin sprinted to the miko and examined the flower Kagome was pointing at.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Rin cried and instantaneously picked it.

oOo

Once Rin had a bouquet of flowers bigger than her body, she waddled in the direction of the great hall doors with Kagome beside her. Sesshoumaru was trailing a little farther behind, his brow was creased and he was gazing at the sunset.

"Rin, why don't you get those into a vase, honey?" Kagome advised to Rin who was barely visible behind her giant range of blossoms. Kagome gently placed a hand on Rin's shoulder and patiently guided her up the stairs to the great hall doors, for she could hardly see, let alone get up some stairs. Once Rin was safely toddling into the great hall, Kagome left her to Akina and Miroku who where sitting and chatting at a conference table. They both got up and helped the little child in her quest to find a vase.

Kagome looked back, Sesshoumaru was still gazing at the sunset, his calm unemotional face had softened a bit, and his golden eyes glinted in the fading sunlight. She slowly walked up to him and eventually came to a halt beside him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kagome asked in a soft low voice. Her hands clasped behind her back. Sesshoumaru accidentally sighed, taking in a deep breath of Kagome's Jasmine scent laced with her heat scent. His molten gold eyes glazed over.

"Yes." Whispered in his deep voice, his finger twitched, itching to just grab Kagome. If it weren't for his mastered self control that he practiced every day he would have. He started to walk swiftly in the direction of the Entrance Hall. Kagome didn't like this, she was going to find out was wrong right NOW.

Kagome's calm features changed and a determined, resolute glower crossed her face. She stalked forward and grabbed his hand and yanked him around to face her.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked bluntly. Her face set to find out the reason.

He growled, her hand in his was not helping his self control.

"Unhand me, human." He snarled.

"No!" she said firmly, pulling his hand to turn him around to face her fully "Not until you tell me what's wrong with you! Why do you suddenly hate me?" she said, then added, "more than usual?"

He heaved a sigh, her potent scent invaded his nostrils involuntarily again.

"I…"

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**A/N: Haha I wonder what Sessh will say…?**

**Look out for the next chapter!**

**JA NE**


	12. Difficult Demon

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER TWELVE:-:-:-:-:

"I…need you to get away from me," his eyes where tightly shut, his teeth and fists where clenched. He started walking away again, this time using his ample demon strength. Kagome gave a yelp as she was dragged behind him, but refused to release his hand.

"What…is…your…PROBLEM?" Kagome tugged his hand back towards her for the third time, her powers sparking from her hand with a light pink crackle. Sesshoumaru's hand suddenly felt like it was burning. He yanked it from her clutches.

"I _don't_ hate you. You're in heat! Stay away from me!" he snarled quietly through clenched teeth. For a moment a fraction of his emotional control broke and his impassive mask slipped from his face. He turned around abruptly, his purple and yellow silk sash and his luminous white-silver hair flicking with his movement.

Kagome stayed put, rooted to the spot, watching the taiyoukai's back at he strode rigidly back to his castle.

'_Heat? What the hell is that?'_

oOo

Sesshoumaru was sitting, bored, at his desk, finishing off a mountainous stack of paper work when he heard the light footsteps of someone approaching his office door. Instead of the jasmine scent he was expecting to detect, he got the aroma of citrus blossoms. His door cracked open and Akina stuck her head into his room, followed by her luminous pale golden hair cascading in behind her.

"How are you Sesshy-kun?" She asked in her usual bubbly voice.

"Fine," Sesshoumaru replied curtly, knowing that she came for other matters. Why she insisted on calling him 'Sesshy-kun' was beyond him. What was worse was that she did it in front of other youkai as well. Was it her job to humiliate him?

"So…" Akina began, edging the rest of her body through the door and sitting herself down in one of the armchairs in front of his desk, "So, why did you let Kagome stay here?" she asked innocently, picking imaginary lint from her kimono.

"Rin likes her," he answered, not looking up from his work.

"That's all?" Akina pried, her violet eyes bored holes into the top of his head.

"Hai," he answered bluntly, still not looking up.

"hmm…are you sure?" she asked vaguely, her eyes taking on an accusing look.

Sesshoumaru looked up with his eyes, "Are you through?" He asked impatiently.

Akina's face instantly went hard.

"I don't like that tone, Sesshoumaru," she said sternly, using his full name to show she was serious.

A smile almost touched his lips. Almost. But then he stopped it, just before it happened.

"Oh, Sesshy-kun, you should smile more often, you look soooo much better when you smile!" She declared, crossing her arms, when a look swept over her face that Sesshoumaru knew only too well: she just got an idea.

'_uh oh' _Sesshoumaru thought warily.

Akina walked slowly and languidly around Sesshoumaru's desk, humming innocently, until she was behind his chair. Sesshoumaru listened to her movements to gauge where she was going, his elfish-appearing ears twitched and moved, listening intently.

Suddenly, with as much speed as himself, Akina latched tightly onto his silver head, her small hands on either side of his face, forcing her fingers into the corners of his mouth. Pulling with all her might (because Sesshoumaru was now trying to resist) on the crooks of his mouth, she coaxed it wider into a forcefully achieved smile.

Right at that moment the door opened and Kagome followed by Rin entered Sesshoumaru's 'private' study. His eyes snapped in their direction. His mouth was still painfully stretched into a smile, and one clawed hand was digging into his darkly stained and polished desk while the other one was grasping one of Akina's wrists, trying to pry them away from his face.

Akina let go suddenly and held her arms wide out before dropping them to her side, then pointed one triumphant finger at Sesshoumaru who was massaging his cheeks and growling.

"HA! I got you to smile!" Akina cried in a victorious loud shout and now a pain in his ears was added to his jaw. Kagome was visibly struggling to hold back laughter and Rin was giggling behind her hand.

"What do you want, miko? Didn't I tell you to stay away from me earlier?" he demanded icily, trying not to breathe and to gain back at least some remnants of his dignity.

"Hm? Why would you want that, Sesshy-kun?" Akina asked, nonplussed until he took a deep breath.

"Ohhh!" Akina exclaimed, "That's why!" she said, realization donned on her. Kagome blushed.

"C'mon, Kagome!" Akina said in a sing-song voice. "We need to get you away from Sesshoumaru…before he poun-ces," she added the last part with a smirk back at Sesshoumaru. He growled at her so Akina stuck out her tongue with a childish 'nyah', put an arm around Kagome's shoulders and led her out of the large room.

"Come, Rin let's get you in bed. Time to get to sleep, dear," Akina called back, half way out of the door.

"Hai, Akina-neesan!" Rin said, running around her foster father's desk to kiss him goodnight on one of his sore cheeks. After, she skipped out of his study, humming a song.

oOo

Once Rin was soundly asleep in her rooms, Akina turned to Kagome.

"You don't know what your mating scent is doing to Sesshy-kun, do you?" Akina asked with a laugh.

"N-no, not really. What is it? I thought he just hated me," Kagome admitted.

"Well, it really shouldn't be affecting him since he's a demon and you're a human, but since he is technically in his teenage years in a demonic lifespan, this is what you would call a fluke of puberty of sorts. Since he's reached an age where he should be fifnding a mate, he is overly sensitive to the mating scents of females." Akina explained while walking the dazed miko to her room. "This kind of thing may or may not happen to a growing demon, but rest assured, if it does, it will be the only time. You won't have to worry about this anytime in the future." She patted Kagome's shoulder, "It'll pass in a day or two and then everything will be perfectly normal again."

"Oh, so that's why he didn't want me near him…" Kagome said pensively, "Good thing, too. I don't think I'd like having Sesshoumaru as a mate!" she laughed a little at the thought.

"Oh well, it's late, I'd better get to…" Kagome yawned deeply in mid-sentence, "…bed. Good night, Akina" she said.

"Check your closet!" Akina called after her, "Sesshoumaru bought you a bunch of clothes!" the demoness informed her, "See you tomorrow!"

"alright," Kagome said warily, and continued her long trek through the castle to her beautiful bedroom.

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A/N: Woooow so…Hi. I'm not dead. :\ Sorry for the major fanfic neglect. It kinda blows my mind I started this in 9th grade and now I'm in college…randomly I got the strong compulsion to read some of my story today and totally forgot I hadn't finished putting it up. I read the reviews and I just feel like an awful person. Especially the huge cliffy left on the last chapter. So! I decided to stop pretending to write my paper in the University library and finish posting this! Major procrastination? Well, maybe. But I feel a lot better doing this than researching Gibson's ecological theory of perception in cognitive development

If anyone's still out there who was reading this, please forgive me!

JA NE!


	13. Kiori

:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER THIRTEEN:-:-:-:-:-

"Aaaaah!" Kagome yawned, as she awoke in her beautiful, ornate bedroom, totally refreshed and ready for anything.

The miko sat up in her bed and really took in the detail of her room—it was very large. The walls, like many other parts of the castle, had intricate designs engraved into the stone. She examined her bed next; it was a magnificent, king-sized four poster, with crème and light blue colored silk sheets, which where now crumpled and ruffled up due to her wonderful nights' sleep. A desk was in the far corner and in front of her was the hallway to her bath and sink. Off to the side was a large sitting area with ornate chairs and tables.

Kagome yawned again and stretched. Only then did she realize the demoness standing next to the door.

"Kyah!" Kagome screamed, twisting around and falling off the bed with a loud and painful sounding thump.

The miko emerged over the edge of the bed seconds later, untangling her legs from the twisted silken sheets that had fallen to the bedroom floor along with her. She looked over at the door and the demon was gone. Kagome sighed and let go of the side of the bed, dropping to the floor and there, crouched in front of her was the demoness.

"Please forgive me, my lady! I didn't mean to frighten you. Sesshoumaru-sama ordered me as your personal servant." She said franticly. The demoness stood up and helped Kagome to her feet then she bowed deeply.

"You don't have to call me your lady! Really, I'm not into all these formalities." Kagome said, waving her hand as if brushing off the title.

"Hai." She mumbled, bowing again.

"Ah," Kagome caught the shoulders of the girl and brought her upright, "And the bowing can stop too." Kagome muttered, laughing.

"Hai." The servant said again, cracking a small smile.

"So what's your name?" Kagome asked, while walking to her closet like Akina advised her to the day before.

"My name is Kiori. Oh, yes, I was supposed to tell you that Sesshoumaru-sama bought you new kimonos, he said the one you owned was shameful." She looked Kagome up and down, seeing nothing wrong with the skirt or shirt. Then shrugged.

"Oh, he said something about the way I dress?" growing fury was easily distinguished in her normally calm, chocolate eyes. Her school uniform was her favorite and most comfortable outfit she had! Who was he to be commenting on the way she dressed when he was the one wearing the weird, furry, boa thing!

"N-no, nothing my lady, it's just that he would feel much more comfortable if...ah...you wore something…different." Kiori explained trying not to get the miko upset. She heard of the powers the miko had: how her hands glow pink and how she can barely control it herself, just coming out with her emotions.

"Humph, well these had better be good…" Kagome grumbled in a huffy voice as she pulled on the handles of the large marble doors of the closet. They came open surprisingly easy, for some really heavy looking doors. The sight that met her eyes made her breath catch in her throat. The kimonos residing in her closet where utterly gorgeous! There where the ones with large sleeves and ones that where short in length with short sleeves, there where black and gold ones, crème colored silks and every other variety of color and fabric possibly imaginable.

"They're beautiful!" Kagome breathed, gazing at the closet jam-packed closet of colorful kimonos. Kiori smiled warmly at her excitement, what did she think she'd be getting? Rags?

"Sesshoumaru-sama ordered nothing but the best for you and Rin." Kiori told her in a gentle voice. Kagome reached out and touched the silk hems of the closest formal kimono in reach, still completely speechless.

"Rin got new kimonos too?" Kagome asked, for lack of anything else better to say.

"Hai, her old ones were a tad small." Kiori said, walking toward Kagome, to peer over her shoulder into the closet.

"So, which one would you like to wear?" Kiori asked, cocking her head to one side with a smile on her face.

"Which one? God, I don't care! They're all so beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

Kiori laughed, reached beyond Kagome, and unhooked a cute, short, form-fitting, light pink kimono with a vine of crimson roses streaming down the left side. The neck collar had the same color hem around the top as the roses, as did the sleeves and the around the bottom of the kimono. The hook-like latches where also the same crimson color. To top it all off, a magnificent light pink necklace with an intricate rose pendant hung around the vacant necks of the beautiful kimono.

"God, why would Sesshoumaru get me such beautiful kimonos?" Kagome asked, as the breathtaking garment was laid out before her on her four-poster by a grinning Kiori.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kiori asked vaguely, carefully laying out the kimono, her shining silver hair falling over her shoulders.

"Is…isn't what obvious?" Kagome questioned, her forehead creased slightly, as she toyed with the crimson obi that went with the kimono in her slender fingers.

"Why would Sesshoumaru-sama get you such fine silk kimonos, if you where simply just another human to him? I know it's not my place to say, but I think he likes you." She explained bluntly, turning on her heel to pace across Kagome's room from her four-poster to her closet to close the opened marble doors.

"I-I don't know what your talking about! Sesshoumaru couldn't like me! That's just weird. Anyway, he despises all humans besides Rin, remember?" Kagome reasoned, still twisting the obi in her hands.

"Well, maybe he's going soft." Kiori tried. She turned back around to face Kagome. "Oh well, that's just what I think. Anyway, it is about time for him to be thinking of finding a mate…" Kiori muttered, more to herself than to Kagome.

"Akina mentioned that, too. But shouldn't have Sesshoumaru been searching for a mate for like…centuries? He's really old isn't he?" Kagome asked. She knew Inuyasha had to be older than fifty because that's how long he was pinned to the tree, plus he was already grown up. And Sesshoumaru was his big brother, so he'd have to be hundreds of years old.

"Hai, but youkai age much more slowly than humans. Compared to many other high class demons, like his father for instance, Sesshoumaru would merely be child, about nine or ten probably. In human years? Hmm… well, I guess he'd most likely be around one thousand years old. Of course lesser demons, like master Jaken, live for a much shorter time." Kiori explained thoughtfully.

"What? Wow! I knew he was old, but one thousand and he's just a child?" Kagome cried

"Sure. And this is about mating time for demons like Sesshoumaru, that's why I originally thought he brought you here: to be his mate." Kiori said.

"No, no, no you are definitely mistaken. There are way too many powerful demonesses that would love to have Sesshoumaru for a mate! Why would he choose me?" Kagome inquired her hands on her small waist, and looking expectantly at Kiori for the answer.

"Hmm…I don't know. Anyway…breakfast is ready; you do not want to keep Sesshoumaru-sama waiting." She stated in a suddenly business-like tone.

"Oh, right…breakfast. I'll go bathe."

"Would you like any help?"

"Help?" Kagome asked, an arching an eyebrow. '_Oh yeah, she's supposed to be my servant, I forgot.'_ She thought.

"Ah, no, I'll be fine!" Kagome called out loudly, because the thunderous sound of the small waterfall spilling liquid into the miniature pool echoed around in the stone walls of the castle.

Ten minutes later Kagome emerged from the bathing room with a towel around her torso and another wrapped around her hair. Her face was flushed from the warm water and her scrubbing, and all the mirrors in her room where now fogged up due to her relaxing, hot bath.

"Come, Kagome, we must hurry so you are not late." Kiori exclaimed, gripping the end of the towel wrapped around Kagome's body and pulling. Kagome did a full three-sixty as the towel was yanked away from her body, leaving her nude for about a split second.

"Hey-" She cried, but the rest of what ever she was going to say was lost to a series of mumbles caused by Kiori pulling the kimono clean over her head. Once Kagome's cranium emerged from the collar of the cute kimono she sent a death glare at Kiori who just grinned playfully.

"You could have warned me, y'know!" Kagome admonished, but as she turned away from Kiori and gazed into a mirror, now defogged, she had to admit she did look good. Kagome took a brush up from her vanity and ran it through her shining raven locks until she was satisfied. She set down the brush again and sighed.

"Aright, let's go." She said while walking toward the door and motioning for Kiori to follow.

"C'mon, I still haven't remembered the way yet." She confessed with a laugh. Kiori giggled and followed her out her bedroom door. Kagome let her walk in front of her so she could lead the way.

"So you really think Sesshoumaru likes me?" Kagome asked with a blush, walking through the cold stone corridors of the castle.

"Yes, I do. But didn't you say you didn't believe me?" Kiori asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at her. Kagome was silent. Truthfully, she didn't believe it one bit.

"What would be so bad about having Sesshoumaru-sama as a mate? You don't think he is handsome enough?" Kiori questioned with a laugh.

"God, no! He's the most gorgeous demon I've seen in my life…but he's so…unemotional, so icy." Kagome walked without looking where she was going, examining her feet, and following Kiori by her voice.

"He's not always like that you know." She said quietly, "You should see him with Rin." She gave a small affectionate laugh. "They're inseparable! It's so cute to watch." She explained, a gentle smile touching her lips.

Kagome smiled as well.

"Akina said the exact same thing." She said, looking up. Now she recognized their location, they where getting close to the dining hall.

"I bet she did. That unicorn knows more about Sesshoumaru-sama than anyone. They've been friends basically since birth, but everyone thought that she'd abandon their relationship after he went all 'ice prince' on us, but she never gave up even though her clan has their own land to watch over and she is next in line to claim the responsibility. The Unicorns reign over the northern lands." Kiori said to the miko walking aside her.

"Oh, she didn't tell me that! I didn't know she had her own lands."

"Well, she doesn't own it at the moment; her father is lord right now."

"Oh, well how come she spends so much time here if her father owns land?" Kagome asked. Playing with the beautiful necklace she had hung around her neck.

"No one knows, really. I guess she just likes the castle and spending time here with her 'Sesshy-kun'." Kiori laughed.

"Oh, really? Well she seems to have a soft spot for my friend, Miroku as well. They've gotten really close to each other, you know. Never find one without the other since they met." Kagome said chuckling, and wondering how a perverted monk such as himself could acquire such a close and not to mention beautiful friend and only asking her once to bear his children. It was beyond her. That houshi must have asked Sango a dozen times!

'_Sango…NO! Don't even start thinking of them. You have a new life now, in Sesshoumaru's castle, with Rin. I'm done being second best to Kikyo, and now Sango! He's hurt me a thousand too many times, I'm through with him! I have to move on! Maybe…I mean, Miroku found someone that he likes, who knows, there might be a demon in this castle that's just for me!' _Kagome thought hopefully and shoved any further memories of that baka hanyou out of her mind to realize that Kiori was trying talking to her.

"Hellooo? Kagome? Are you alright?" Kagome heard Kiori's voice say. The demoness was waving a hand in front of her face and snapping her fingers repeatedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." Kagome said quickly and swatted Kiori's hand away with her own.

They arrived at the hall after a couple minutes more of conversation between themselves. As Kagome walked into the dining hall, alone because servants where not allowed to enter, she spotted Rin and Sesshoumaru already sitting in their usual seats at the long table, waiting for her. His face was stern and Rin merely looked bored and hungry, as soon as she saw Kagome, her face lit up and a grin stretched across it.

"Kagome-chan! Good morning!" she said loudly, and waved her tiny hand at her.

"Good morning, Rin." Kagome replied, gazing warmly at the little child that was waving frantically at her to sit in the seat next to her.

"You're late." Sesshoumaru said icily.

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A/N: Thanks for reading

JA NE!


	14. Small Slip

:-:-:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER FOURTEEN:-:-:-:-:-:-:

"You're late." Sesshoumaru said icily. He sniffed the air gingerly.

'_Her wretched heat has finally passed,'_ he thought.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru." Kagome muttered, her chocolate brown eyes lanced into him, not forgetting that he said something about the way she dressed, she 'hmph'ed and irritatedly eyed the furry boa thing draped over his shoulder. Then she pulled out a chair and picked up her chop sticks. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru already eating.

"Why did Rin not come to my rooms to wake me up? That servant of yours nearly gave me a heart attack, you should have warned me you were sending someone," Kagome said, trying to make some conversation and fill up the silence of the dining hall.

"I held her back," Sesshoumaru said without looking up and ignoring the second half of her statement.

"You just got here and are not used to our schedule, why should you be woken up early and have more time to bother me?" Sesshoumaru reasoned, still passive.

"I do not bother you!" Kagome defended, the grip on her chopsticks tightening.

'_This miko is way too easy' _Sesshoumaru thought.

"And there's nothing wrong with the way I dress." Kagome mumbled under her breath but remembered all too late that Sesshoumaru could easily hear her comment.

"Why would I desire a resident of my castle parading about in rags like some kind of pitiable village outcast?" Sesshoumaru smirked, he knew he was testing the miko's patience.

Kagome sighed, taking a deep breath to stop herself from diving over the table and ringing his slender…strong…lean neck…Her eyes slid out of focus as she slipped into her thoughts.

'_How can someone so infuriating be so gorgeous? If only he were more pleasant…wait, so what if he were more pleasant? It wouldn't make a difference to me because I'm not interested in him at all. End of story. He is a ruthless demon with a rotten attitude—'_

"Miko," Kagome heard the sharp, deep voice pierced through her reverie like an axe breaking a mirror, and brought her back to reality. When she looked up she found that Sesshoumaru was staring at her in a weird way, as if questioning her sanity.

"H-hai, what is it?" Kagome asked, looking frustratedly at the taiyoukai, troubled about her thoughts. Did she actually like Sesshoumaru?

"If you would kindly not wander off into your dreamland while in my presence?" He commanded.

"Hmph!" Kagome huffed and went back to her food; Sesshoumaru stared at her, his eyes glinting, and then did the same.

No one noticed that Rin was finished eating and was sneaking up behind Sesshoumaru. Living with demons, she easily picked up habits, creeping around so quietly that even demon hearing could barely pick her up was one.

"OUCH!" Sesshoumaru bellowed, Kagome turned her head sharply in time to see Rin's hand playfully attached to the taiyoukai's pointed ear. He was grimacing in pain, and leaning toward Rin trying to lessen the force. He looked very much like he'd got in trouble stealing a cookie and was getting his ear pulled by his mother.

"Rin! Let go!" He demanded, dropping his golden chop sticks with a clatter back into his plate. His demon instincts made him want to twist Rin's arm off, but his mind wouldn't let him, so he just kind of sat there, one eye was closed tight, the other glaring at Rin, his claws where clenched into tight fist, digging into his palms with his sharp claws.

Once Rin's fingers where gently pried from Sesshoumaru's ear by Kagome, he glared at her, as if daring her to make a comment. The miko was currently giggling behind her hand, but Sesshoumaru's death glare shut her right up though her shoulders where still shaking with mirthful silent laughter. Sesshoumaru stood up with a growl, the tip of his ear turning a light red color from the pulling and his chair moved back with a screeching sound and he marched out of the dining hall, leaving behind a snickering Kagome and Rin, and a half a plate full of uneaten breakfast. As he walked a couple drops of blood fell from his hands.

oOo

Sesshoumaru stepped out of the great hall and took a deep breath and let it out.

'_Winter's coming soon,' _he thought, feeling that the wind was getting pretty chilly. He sensed Kagome walking up behind him.

"Hey," Kagome said quietly. Moments ago her giggles had gone down and she was now able to approach Sesshoumaru without bursting into a fit of laughter.

"What do you want miko?" He said with his cold indifference, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and continued his walking.

"Are your hands okay?" Kagome asked, jogging to keep up with his long, powerful strides and trying to look past his large sleeves to see his hands.

"Hmph." he came to a stop and held out one of his palms for her inspection. She held it up in her own, his large hand greatly out sizing hers. The cuts that were there no more than three minutes ago where completely gone, neither scar nor bruise left it its place. She dropped her hands, but didn't let go of his yet.

"Thank you." She said quietly, and then turned her head up to look at him.

"For what?" He asked, still not looking directly at her, but at the early rising sun. Hues of orange, pink, and indigo were painted across the sky of the western lands.

"For what? For the beautiful kimonos, of course!" Kagome exclaimed, holding out her arms, finally letting go of his hand and doing a full turn to show off the one she had on.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" She asked, arms still held out. A bright smile illuminated her face, which seemed to out-shine the rising sun. She knew he was going to say something mean like 'don't count on it' or 'as long as you're out of those rags, I don't care' or 'yeah right, keep dreaming.'

"Yes, it is." He said unexpectedly.

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N/A: Hm hm hm hm? what an interesting response ;P

JA NE!


	15. What to do

:-:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER FIFTEEN-:-:-:-:-:-

"Yes, it is." He said unexpectedly.

Kagome blinked and stared, then looked a little apprehensive.

"Um…I'm okay being around you now, right? Akina told me that heat thing was over." Kagome said, fearful that he might do something to her that he would regret later, Kagome certainly couldn't hold him off, and he acting strange. She glanced, without thinking to his loin area, for a way to confirm her thoughts. Then caught herself and quickly looked back to his face.

"The kimono. It is beautiful—the finest in Japan." He stated, still watching the sunrise. "And yes, your heat has gone away." He added.

"Er, Sesshoumaru? Why did you get me such wonderful kimonos anyway?" Kagome asked, looking up at him.

"If you do not like them, I'd gladly take them back. I think they are just Akina's size…" He said, still gazing at the sunrise.

"N-no! I didn't say that! I love them!" she said, waving her hands. Sesshoumaru laughed lightly and his molten gold eyed shone in the rays of the risen sun. They stood in silence for a while, both deep in their own thoughts.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome said looking at the taiyoukai as if she was going to say something. He turned his head, looking down at her. The rays of the morning sun shone behind him, with his silver hair, fair skin and white clothes, he looked unmistakably like an angel.

'_Yeah, an angel of death… Remember, Kagome, he's killed countless demons and humans, he's a heartless demon and a killer. He could never like you, even if he is…gorgeous.'_

Kagome realized she was staring up at Sesshoumaru, her lips slightly opened and her eyes unfocused.

"What?" Sesshoumaru demanded, irritably.

"Huh? Uh…oh, er, nothing." Kagome stammered; she had forgotten what she was going to say.

Lately Kagome had been getting a little creeping feeling of depression seeping into her mood. She missed her family and she missed Kirara, and more than ever, she missed Shippou. He was her foster son; Shippou started calling her his mother a few months back and she loved the fox kit dearly... She would spend hours just aimlessly wandering about on the stone-paved paths that snaked through out the garden, thinking. Rin noticed and of course, Sesshoumaru did too. He knew about her kitsune cub and how much she loved him: just as much he loved Rin.

oOo

"Sango…I don't know…I really feel bad about this." Inuyasha said, he was sitting up against the wall of the hut. Sango was sitting on the small cot of a bed, across the room, with her chin in her hands. After a few seconds she lifted it slightly.

"Is it Kagome?" She asked gently. He nodded.

"How could she just leave like that? Without hearing our part?" He asked, a tinge of anger rising in his voice. He knew Sango didn't know so he wasn't asking anyone in particular. Inuyasha stood up abruptly, he violently ran his fingers through his silver hair and growled. He headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked, still in a gentle voice, her eyes holding the unmistakable emotion of worry.

"I…I don't know," he said quietly and pushed aside the bamboo-flap door and walked out side, his head down.

Sango got up after he left and pushed the brown, make-shift door out of the way, following him. She saw him leaning against Goshinboku, looking downward, his hair covering his face and casting it in a lonesome shadow even with the morning sun's rays. She walked over to him and put her arms around his shoulders and drew him into a tight hug. His shoulders began shaking, and soft sobs reached Sango's ears. She rubbed and patted the prideful hanyou on his back, whispering endearments to him in a soft hushed voice. He wept on her shoulder for little while longer, and then he finally held his head up from the crook of Sango's neck.

"Shhhhh." Sango cooed, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the hanyou crying on her shoulder.

"I-I didn't mean to. I'm sorry I made her leave, I'm sorry I made Miroku leave, I'm sorry…I made Shippou leave." He said quietly, bowing his head, his eyes lost in shadow again.

"Shippou? I thought he was still here! God, Inuyasha, he's just a child, what did you do? Where did he go?" Sango said, suddenly overcome by worry. She lifted Inuyasha's chin so he looked at her.

"Inuyasha?"

"I don't know. I was mad after Kagome left without telling anyone. I yelled at Miroku, then later…outside I yelled at Shippou, he ran off crying." Inuyasha said, roughly wiping away the long, wet tear trails that were left behind on his young face.

"We have to find him!" her eyes growing wider with concern, "Kagome…would never forgive me." Sango said, still hopefully clinging to the thought that Kagome would come back and someday forgive her, Sango knew Kagome loved Inuyasha, but if only she knew. This rift in their relationship, however, was most likely never going to heal.

"Where's Kirara?" She asked, anxiously looking around for her fire-cat companion, not seeing her anywhere in view.

"…She went with Shippou…" Inuyasha confessed, it donned on him that he suddenly pretty much almost his whole life, all of his friends hated him except for one, he had no one besides Sango.

"Inuyasha…" Sango began in a tone the hanyou didn't feel too good about at all, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"Get on my back." He said quickly, turning around and crouching low so that she could get on.

"Inuyasha...What-" Sango tried to say something else, but Inuyasha cut her yet off again.

"We're going to find Kagome, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara." He said decisively.

With out another word Sango climbed onto his back, ready to find her best friends and try to explain the situation. After about ten minutes of Inuyasha running, the small conversation between the two had ceased, leaving them both deep in thought about what they would do when they found their friends, well hopefully they were still friends…

'_If only Kagome knew what really happened…'_ Sango thought, leaning her head against Inuyasha's warm back and closing her eyes.

-:-:-:-:-:FLASH BACK-:-:-:-:-:

_Sango awoke one night by the sounds of rustling clothes and the creaking of the floor boards caused by someone's movement. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed her hiraikotsu ready to strike the intruder in necessary. Once her eyes focused in the darkness pressing on her eyes, she saw Inuyasha pacing back and forth across the small hut, then watched as he walked out the door. Sango stared after him, the bamboo flap, fluttering with the forceful shove aside the hanyou had given it. She sat up quietly and stood, following the half inu youkai outside…_

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A/N: Thanks for reading!

JA NE!


	16. The Truth

-:-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER SIXTEEN-:-:-:-:-:

_Sango followed Inuyasha, worried about the look on his face. When she stepped outside, the chilly wind clashed into her warm body, she shivered and brought her hands up to rub her upper arms trying to warm herself._

"_Inuyasha?" She said quietly, knowing his hanyou ears could hear her wherever he was around here and she didn't want to wake the other occupants of the small hut. She heard a rustling to her right and her head snapped in its direction. It was still way too dark too see much but the hanyou's bright red outfit seemed to reflect the minimal light from the sliver of moon left._

"_What?" His voice was sullen; it sounded like he was trying to make up his mind about something—about what, Sango didn't know._

"_Are you okay? Is anything wrong, Inuyasha?" a small amount of concern laced into her voice and she took a small step toward him._

"_Kikyo's here. She asked me to go to hell with her again. She said that this was my last chance to give her an answer; after this she'll be gone forever. She knows Naraku is planning to kill her, but if she takes me to hell now, then we could live there together." Inuyasha told her, he felt like he needed to confide in someone, and since Kagome was still sleeping and he didn't want to wake her, he talked to Sango. _

"_What did you tell her? You know Kagome loves you…and we all thought you loved her too…" Sango said, worry more distinguishable in her voice. Sango was like a big sister to Kagome, their friendship had grown in unimaginable ways since that fateful day she met her when Naraku tricked her into fighting Inuyasha for revenge for her slayer village, her brother, father, and comrades._

_Inuyasha looked at her, his eyes held guilt. Sango saw this and took his hand and led him to Goshinboku. Sango knew he liked this old god tree and she thought that he would feel more comfortable if he was around it. Once Sango turned back around to look at Inuyasha he was looking down at the ground, deep in thought._

"_Inuyasha? What was your answer for Kikyo?" She asked. The last thing she wanted was Kagome to be miserable because Inuyasha chose to go with Kikyo to hell for all eternity._

"_I-I told her…no, I told her I loved Kagome. But I feel so awful, Kikyo was my first love and I rejected her for her reincarnation. And now she has to die at the hands of Naraku." Inuyasha spat out the last part every; every cell in his body loathed the existence of the evil half demon._

"_But I told her I loved Kagome…" He trailed off, repeating it to himself._

"_You made the right choice, Inuyasha. Kikyo is dead; she is not meant to be alive now. I just hope she doesn't have to go like that—by Naraku. She deserves to be sent to the spirit world by someone she knows and loves, so she won't enter her afterlife with remorse and hatred…" She looked up at the hanyou._

_He knew what she meant and looked at the ground as he walked off back into the woods. Sango stayed at Goshinboku and waited for his return with the news on Kikyo. While alone Sango thought about how Kagome would react when she found out that Inuyasha finally chose her over Kikyo and they could tell each other their true feelings. _

_After about half and hour or forty-five minutes, Inuyasha solemnly walked out of the forest, his eyes cast in shadow. Sango could tell he'd done it: he'd sent Kikyo to hell. He'd finally be able to be with Kagome._

"_How are you?" Sango asked, tilting up his chin a bit so she could see his eyes. They were red like he'd been crying, or trying to hold back tears. _

"_I-I did it. Kikyo's gone." He said, his voice a bit choked up._

"_Oh, Inuyasha, you did the right thing. Kikyo wasn't meant to walk with the living. Her time had come a long time ago; she's in her rightful place now, and you can go on with your life." Sango brought her hand up to brush a tear that reluctantly trickled down his cheek. She leaned up and placed a soft, gentle, motherly kiss on his other cheek. _

"_It's alright." she said soothingly, "Just make sure to tell Kagome exactly what happened so she won't get upset, okay?" Sango pulled away from Inuyasha's ear. He nodded and suddenly his eyes went wide and his body went ridged. He stared at the swinging flap of the hut._

"_Kagome…" Inuyasha said quietly, he exclaimed in a quiet tortured voice. His mouth was open in panic. Did she see Sango's little comforting kiss? It was so dark she probably thought she was doing something else! What would she start thinking? Sango noticed and looked back at the hut._

"_Oh god, don't tell me that she's thinking…" Sango started guilt and worry in her voice. Inuyasha nodded sadly and tried to get around Sango to go comfort the girl he loves._

"_No, Inuyasha. You'll only make it worse, when she's like this she won't listen, give her until morning to calm down. Believe me, she'll be even worse if you try and explain things to her right now." Sango told him gently._

"_And same goes for me…" Sango said more to herself than Inuyasha._

_oOo_

_The next morning Inuyasha and Sango left early to let Kagome finish calming down completely before trying to talk to her, they walked into the woods._

"_Hey, Sango, don't you think it'll look suspicious to her if we're both gone after what she thought she saw last night?" Inuyasha asked, sitting and waiting on an old rotting log until Sango, who was leaning gingerly on an equally old and mossy boulder, said it was alright to go back to his love, Kagome._

"_Oh, well guess so." Sango realized, "let's get back now." She said quickly, what Inuyasha said made a lot of sense. They started to pick through the forest but Inuyasha knew it would be faster a different way. _

_He crouched down and told Sango to get on. After she was secure, he leapt straight up, past the trees and vines and forest life. He landed and bounded up again, in a couple more leaps he touched ground next to Goshinboku, the old god tree where he was pinned and where he now saw Miroku sitting alone with his ever present staff leaning against the tree's massively large trunk, no Kagome in sight._

oOo

Inuyasha and Sango flew over the trees, his inhuman ears swiveling around on his head until the hanyou heard quiet sobs of a small child coming from below them with his demon hearing. Inuyasha twisted his body to stop himself from sailing any further in the air and he streamlined through the treetops and sniffed around for the fox kit's scent.

When he located the kitsune, the little demon was leaning against a berry bush. He was crying softly and clinging to Kirara in her small, compact form. When Inuyasha came in view of the young fox's watery eyes, Shippou glared as icily as a small demon child could possibly imagine to at him. Sango immediately rushed to him and Inuyasha cringed very slightly from Shippou's bitter glower.

"Oh, Shippou! Are you okay!" Sango cried, the worry in her voice easy to read.

"I hate you! You made my Okaasan run away!" Shippou wailed at them and pointed a quivering, accusing finger at the two of them. The morning after Kagome saw what she thought she saw she was sitting on her cot in their hut and told Shippou all about it, the kitsune was the only one with her, and Miroku was outside chopping fire wood at the time.

"Shippou, no! it was an accident, what she saw wasn't really what happened. I'm so sorry!" Sango tried to explain, drawing the trembling fox kit into her arms, offering soothing words to the softly hiccupping and distressed child.

Shippou eventually quieted down, and soon fell into a fitful sleep, cradled in Sango's arms. The taijia stood up and looked toward Inuyasha. He had Kirara on his shoulder—for some reason she stayed away from Sango while she was comforting Shippou. But the main thing Sango noticed when she gazed at Inuyasha was that his soft golden eyes had quickly turned to a bloody, murderous expression; his lips pulled back in an unmistakable snarl.

"Inuyasha! What's wrong?" Sango asked quickly and took a couple steps backward, fearful for the sleeping child in her arms.

"Sesshoumaru…" He growled, "That bastard!" Inuyasha roared. "He was here a couple days ago with Miroku…and Kagome." The hanyou's voice was getting progressively louder and more thunderous, when he was finished with his shocking statement, he emitted an earsplitting roar and he ran off in a direction, his legs where a swift blur.

"INUYASHA!" Sango yelled after him. The hanyou skidded to a halt, digging his heels into the forest floor, making long, deep tracks. Inuyasha cursed himself for forgetting Sango, Kirara, and the kit. He ran back and scooped the bunch of them into his arms all at once, not bothering to put anyone on his back.

'_If Sesshoumaru touched one hair on Kagome's head…god bless him…he'll need it.'_ Inuyasha thought roughly and quickened his leg speed, reaching a speed the Shikon shard enhanced wolf demon, Kouga, would be proud of.

They sped on for about ten more minutes before he stopped and sniffed the air, taking large breaths to try and catch his friends' scents and swiftly changed directions and bolted off again, not informing the other passengers aboard the crazy hanyou express where exactly they where going.

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A/N: 8D please continue on!

JA NE!


	17. Shippou

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-:-:-:-:

It was about a couple hours past noon, and Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's conversation continued as they walked throughout the gardens.

"You are missing your fox kit, aren't you?" Sesshoumaru asked abruptly, Kagome was thrown off guard by the question; the conversation wasn't directed toward Shippou at all.

"Well um…yes, I miss him a lot." Kagome said quietly.

"Rin could use another friend She's a very sociable human…" Sesshoumaru started, looking at the miko for her reaction to his suggestion. Kagome's brightened face snapped up to his, her large eyes shining.

"You really mean it? I can get Shippou back?" She cried joyously. "Oh, thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Small arms wrapped around Sesshoumaru's waist in a quick hug but the next second they were gone. It didn't escape the taiyoukai that she added his honorary title for the first time…but he wouldn't think of that now.

"When can we go?" Kagome asked delightedly, her large sparkling brown eyes gazing at the stony, and emotionless taiyoukai in front of her.

"Whenever you want." He said simply, the faster the miko got happier the faster she would keep Rin's company again.

"I'll go pack my stuff, then!" Kagome cried, jumping in place a few times before bolting off to her rooms.

'_What a strange one she is…' _Sesshoumaru thought as he watched the miko slowly disappear from his sight and into the castle.

…

Kagome was breathing heavily as she rounded a corner in the castle to get to her rooms; upon arrival she stuffed a few extra kimonos in to her giant yellow backpack and heaved it onto her bed, then she left her room in thoughts of finding Miroku to ask him if he wanted to come, Akina was welcome too. Kagome was sure Ah-Un must have been healed up by now so they could carry a lot of people. She ran through the castle calling Miroku's name. Just as she was about to pass, he came out of a room Kagome knew as the library up ahead with Akina behind him.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Miroku asked, worry in his voice.

"Where's Sesshoumaru?" Akina inquired, looking past Kagome in the castle corridor expecting to see the taiyoukai somewhere near.

"Nothing's wrong, guys. Sesshoumaru said we could go get Shippou! Do you two want to come with us?" the miko asked, looking back and forth between houshi and unicorn.

"Oh, of course! I was wondering what happened to Shippou, I didn't expect to be gone from the woods so long…well I didn't expect to be gone from the woods at all." Miroku said shamefully, and then he turned his deep purple eyes to Akina.

"You want to come too?" He asked her. Miroku told Akina about Shippou before and she was excited to meet the young fox youkai.

"Positively! Miroku told me about him, he's so cute by the way he described him!" Akina exclaimed, her large violet eyes shone in anticipation.

"Ok, well we're leaving ASAP, so get ready, ok?" Kagome said quickly and looked at them expectedly. Miroku and Akina just kind of stared at her.

"Uhm…Kagome? What does 'asap' mean?" Akina quizzically asked, cocking her pale golden head to one side and her delicate eyebrows came together in genuine confusion.

"Oh. Asap, A.S.A.P—as soon as possible. Get it?" Kagome explained quickly. "Now, shoo shoo!" she waved her hands at them, "Go get ready! We need to get Shippou!" Kagome exclaimed to her two friends that instantaneously spun around and hurried to their respective rooms.

"Come one, Miroku-kun!" Akina hollered back to the houshi who was panting to keep up with her speed, and she wasn't even going near her fastest. She ran back and latched her hand to his wrist and started running as fast as she could, they flew up flights of stair and past portraits of long-ago lords until the next second Miroku was standing at the twin double-doors of his room.

He teeter-tottered around a bit until he retained his ability to walk without making himself sick with dizziness. Directing himself to his room doors, he threw them both open quickly then looked around for that crazy unicorn, but she was nowhere in sight so Miroku guessed she was already in her room getting ready.

So he entered his room, dug through the closet for an extra robe, and quickly changed into it. Then he freshened up in the bathroom for a minute before he picked up his golden headed staff and started out of his room.

One single step out of the door and he was suddenly lifted off his feet in a bridal style by someone running faster than lightning itself. His hair whipped about, stinging his face, and his loose black and purple robes flapping violently in the passing wind.

"Ah! Unhand me, demon!" Miroku squealed, wriggling in the arms and raising his staff to strike.

"Hey, keep still, will you? Or you'll fall! And don't you dare hit me with that, Miroku!" Miroku heard Akina's voice say warningly. She stopped and let him down. She placed her hands on her hips, which were sticking out to one side, and her eyebrows where drawn down a bit in an accusing look.

"Kagome said she wanted us as fast as we could go!" She told him quickly, and then she added, "And no offence, but your pretty slow," Akina said, a deliberately innocent look on her sweet face.

"Huuuh!" Miroku breathed, placing a hand over his heart to calm its rapid beating. "Hey! Wait, I'm not slow!" Miroku said indignantly.

"Oh, Miroku! just c'mon! We have to go find Shippou!" She said, brushing past the houshi and clamping her small hand to his wrist again and dragging him behind her. A few seconds later she added on speed and soon had Miroku flying behind her, his body directly parallel to the castle floor. They ran and/or flew to the open Entrance Hall doors where Kagome was waiting with Sesshoumaru and little Rin standing next to her.

"We're here!" Akina called out, coming to a stop and setting Miroku down next to her who was slightly cross eyed and staggering with his robes hanging off one shoulder and his hair out of control. Not to mention he was missing one of his sandals.

Kagome and Rin burst out laughing and Sesshoumaru smirked and moved out of Miroku's way as the monk's knees gave out and he fell to the ground, his staff balancing upright on the marble floors for a few seconds before loudly following suit after its dazed owner.

"Whoops!" Akina said cheerfully and helped the houshi back to his feet, she disappeared for a second before returning with his sandal and fixed his robes. Miroku knelt down, still slightly swirly-eyed and yanked up his staff from the ground to help him keep his balance.

…

Once they where all packed up on Ah-Un everyone got on the two-headed dragon and Sesshoumaru summoned up his youkai cloud, he easily picked up Shippou's scent. But what he didn't tell the others of his group was that his idiot of a hanyou half-brother and the taijia and her demon cat where also with Kagome's kit.

oOo

Inuyasha, Sango, Shippou and Kirara slowed to a trot.

The hanyou they where relying on lost the scent of his older half brother, but Inuyasha didn't tell them this. Finally they stopped because a certain kitsune had to use the 'facilities'. As Inuyasha set him down, Shippou jumped from one fox-footed leg to another, his small face looking in this direction and that, searching for a suitable place to relieve himself.

"Wheretogowheretogowheretogo?" Shippou chanted until he finally settled on a spot and ran like the wind to it as if there was no tomorrow.

Sango chuckled and turned to the hanyou: the only friend she had left along with Shippou. Kirara was still on Inuyasha's shoulder. Sango frowned slightly and walked toward them.

"Kirara?" Sango called quietly, holding out her hand to her fire-neko. Kirara's eyes got bigger and the crème colored fur of her coat bristled up and the skin above her muzzle wrinkled in a snarl. Sango quickly withdrew her out stretched hand.

"Kirara…what's wrong?" Sango said nervously, and reached out her hand again.

Kirara hissed quite loudly and her usually soft fur now bristled violently on its end, she jumped from one of Inuyasha's shoulders to the next, getting farther away from her former mistress. Inuyasha looked weirdly at the neko sitting contently on his shoulder, then back Sango.

"Sorry, Sango." Inuyasha said.

"It's not your fault, Inuyasha. I just don't know what's gotten into her lately…" Sango trailed off and gazed at her former companion, the black striped tails of the neko where peeking out from behind the other side of Inuyasha's silver head.

"Aaah!" Shippou exclaimed, exiting the bushes from his potty break.

"So," Sango began, starting a new topic, "Which direction are we headed in, Inuyasha?" Sango asked

"Eeer…" Inuyasha mumbled guiltily and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh I don't really know…I…I lost his scent." Inuyasha mentally cursed himself.

'_How could I have lost that bastard's scent? He was so close! It must have gotten blown away, it is pretty windy…and it was some time ago…'_ Inuyasha thought. Suddenly… '_Wait…that's it!' _Inuyasha straightened his back until he was fully extended and took a few good whiffs from the surrounding air.

"Wait, I got him!" The hanyou cried triumphantly to the others. "Kagome…Miroku…Rin—blech, and Jaken! And a female I don't recognize." Inuyasha said excitedly, this time he crouched down and allowed Sango on his back and took the fox kit in his arms along with Kirara who was still keeping her distance from Sango.

oOo

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin yelled at the taiyoukai, the rapidly passing wind effectively drowning her voice. "How much longer?" She cried. They had been flying for hours! Sesshoumaru, who was a good ten feet in front of the two headed dragon, let his lead fall until he was standing on his cloud side by side of the dragon youkai. He reached over and put his hands under her arms and lifted her off of the dragon and he set her on his waist. He smiled down at her—a warm smile.

"Not much longer now, Rin." He assured her and took a delicate sniff of the passing air; it was hard to catch a scent so high and moving so fast in the air, in fact, only high class demons could even attempt to. Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose slightly at his half brother's scent.

'_When does he ever take a bath? Once a month?' _

"Is Kagome-chan going to be happy again when we find Shippou-chan?" Rin asked innocently, interrupting his thoughts and looking happily up at her foster father with her large brown eyes.

"Yes, Rin. When she gets her son, she'll be happy again." He told her, looking ahead and sniffing the air again to make sure they where still going in the right direction, Sesshoumaru knew his weak little half brother already picked up his scent and was making his way to them as they spoke.

"Son?" the little girl asked, "Rin did not know Kagome-chan had a son. Who is Kagome-chan's mate?" The girl as innocently

"She doesn't have a mate, Rin" Sesshoumaru replied smoothly, "the kitsune is her foster son, like you are my foster daughter." He explained patiently.

"Oh, I get it." Rin said, catching onto the analogy of Sesshoumaru and herself.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome yelled at the demon next to her. "How much longer?" the miko repeated Rin's question, not hearing the answer he gave her. Sesshoumaru thought it undignified to yell in return so he set Rin back down next to her after telling her to relay to Kagome what he'd said.

"Sesshoumaru-sama said we are close!" She screamed into the wind, her hair blowing over her face.

'_good.'_ Kagome thought. '_Here I come, Shippou.'_

oOo

"Don't worry, Kagome. I'm coming to save you!" Inuyasha said to himself, his voice drowned out by the passing air whistling in their ears. In his arms Kirara mewed happily, Shippou yawned in his sleep, and Sango was also contently drowsing, her face pressed gently onto his back.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!

JA NE!


	18. Wrench in the Plans

-:-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER EIGHTEEN-:-:-:-:-:-

Sesshoumaru looked back at his group of ningens and demons. Miroku was in the front, then Kagome with Rin in her lap, then Akina and then Jaken. Sesshoumaru knew why the girls requested Miroku in the front, that lecher would have groped them all the way there. All of them where sleeping, for lack of anything better to do to pass the time. He looked at Kagome, her silky raven locks where whipping about in the winds, her arms protectively wrapped around Rin. He had to admit, she was quite beautiful…for a human, that is.

'_No. She is a human. She is beneath me, I cannot think about her in that way. That brash arrogant hanyou brother of mine is already a disgusting disgrace of our family line! I swore I would never follow in my father's footsteps and take a human for a mate. I cannot disgrace and dilute my clan's blood line with any more filthy hanyous.' _Sesshoumaru told himself and shook his head lightly to rid it of thoughts concerning the miko.

'_But_ _Kagome is not just a human;' _he thought despite himself,_ 'she is a miko, and an incredibly powerful one... All she needs is some training to control her powers and she will even rival me in battle. Is that why I have been hesitating to get someone to give her some training sessions?_

'_No, I, Sesshoumaru, will never be bested in battle by a ningen woman.' _He thought coldly. _'There is no way I will ever act on any feeling that may be festering in some sick part of my mind. It must be some odd phase. I refuse to turn into my father. My father was a fool. He let his heart lead him to his death. I couldn't care less what happens to her.'_ He thought vehemently, his lip twitching as if he wished to bare his teeth.

'_I will not leave my lands in the care of a hanyou heir...But again, she is not a normal human…she's a priestess.'_ He repeated in his mind, his eyes narrowing_. 'My heirs with purifying abilities would be incredibly powerful…'_ A frustrated growl tore from his throat but it was swallowed up by the rushing wind. _ 'No, what am I thinking? What would even be the point? I know nothing of the human emotion, love! Yes, I love Rin, but that's not the same. But since I love Rin, I shouldn't be hostile towards the miko for something she has no awareness of. _

'_She doesn't know that for some reason I feel a pull towards her, but none the less…' _Sesshoumaru thought, finally giving in, '_Being…nice…to a mortal. It can't be that bad…can it?'_

oOo

Softly moaning, Kagome slowly woke up from her short nap. Refreshing wind in her face made her eyes open. Tightening her loosened grip around Rin and looked around, she spotted Sesshoumaru. He was a bit farther away now, but he was still aside the dragon.

His eyebrows where contracted together somewhat and he was looking down, his eyes glassy. Something must have been troubling him since he was actually showing some emotion. Even when he was deep in thought Sesshoumaru more often then not still had his perfect impassive mask on—but he didn't have it on now. What was that emotion on his face? Uneasiness? Discomfort? Annoyance?…Indigestion? (Ha sorry I just had to put that)

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome called out loudly, knocking the taiyoukai out of his thoughts.

'_Remember…be nice.' _He thought forcefully as he directed his youkai cloud toward Ah-Un to answer the miko.

"Hai?" He said, softening his features from the formerly stony look.

"Are you okay?" She asked, turning her upper body to get a better look at him.

'…_Nice…don't say anything rude…don't snap at her…'_

"Yes, I'm fine." He said in a voice that wasn't necessarily nice, but it wasn't rude either, so it was a step up.

"Ano…Sesshoumaru?" Kagome began timidly.

"What?" He answered.

"My legs are falling asleep…" She looked downward at her legs; Rin was splayed across them stopping some blood flow. The miko numbly tried to budge her feet but she just scarcely could get some movement.

'_Do things for her, at least small things to show you don't hate her…' _He took a calming breath.

"Give Rin to the monk." He commanded softly. Kagome looked at him but then turned toward Miroku who was in front of her and shook his shoulders gently. He moaned and opened his purple eyes.

"Can you take Rin for a while?" She asked him quietly. Miroku nodded, stiff half asleep, and deftly twisted his back and scooped up Rin from Kagome's arms and turned around again only to be knocked out by sleep a few seconds later. Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru after doing what he instructed, to be surprised that he was now riding very close to Ah-Un. The taiyoukai reached over and Kagome gasped as Sesshoumaru easily lifted her up and off Ah-Un like he had with Rin.

'_She's not just a human; she's a miko.' _He repeated in his head again. '_Regular humans cannot stand on my youkai cloud, but she's not a regular mortal; she's a priestess…so maybe…'_ Sesshoumaru thought as he gently let Kagome down, still holding on her, seeing if she could stand on his cloud. If she couldn't, then he would simply carry her until her legs went back to normal. He wasn't exactly sure what happened when a human's legs 'fell asleep' but he tried to help anyway. Kagome glanced questioningly at the youkai and then down at the cloud, she felt it was solid beneath her feet. Sesshoumaru let her down fully and sighed quietly.

"Well I guess priestesses are allowed on a youkai cloud, ne? Kagome asked smiling up at the taiyoukai. He looked down at her and the corner of his perfect lips pulled very, very slightly into a small smile also. After a few minutes of Kagome quietly struggling to brace herself from the force of the wind. The demon circled an arm around her back to steady her so she didn't fall with the wind force pushing on her as they flew through the air.

oOo

Inuyasha felt Sango's arms tighten as she woke up from her snooze.

"Mmm, Inuyasha? How much longer?" She asked linking her hands around his neck.

"He's close." The hanyou said shortly.

"Can we stop for a few seconds? I need to stretch my legs, please?" Inuyasha sighed but stopped.

"Just for a minute." He said stubbornly

"Ne, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, getting off and swinging her arm way above her head, loosening her tight muscles.

"Yeah?" He turned to look at her.

"Why do you suppose Sesshoumaru hasn't killed Kagome and Miroku? I thought he hated humans." She said quietly, bending over to stretch her back.

"…I don't know but they're close, probably only half a mile, now!" Inuyasha said impatiently.

"What if…Kagome likes Sesshoumaru? You said your brother was in mating age."

"That would be impossible, Sesshoumaru's emotionless. It's a big surprise to me that she's actually not dead. He's tried killing her before." He said, crossing his arms.

"Why would he keep her alive if it wasn't for a reason?" she countered.

"Sango where are you going with this…?" Inuyasha trailed off, Sango was standing in front of him with a small seductive smile on her face. She snaked her arms around his shoulders…and forced her lips on Inuyasha's. He was stunned into silence and body was stiff…Just as Kagome, Sesshoumaru and the rest of the group flew over head.

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A/N: Uh ohh! : ) Thanks for reading!

JA NE!


	19. New Incarnations

-:-:-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER NINETEEN-:-:-:-:-:-

"Kagura."

"Yes, Master Naraku?"

"Where is Kikyo?"

"Inuyasha killed her, Master Naraku."

"You saw this?"

"I did, Master Naraku."

"Good."

Naraku's enormous castle was now discreetly located on a high range of mountain peaks surrounded by a thick, sickly looking purple colored mist—his doing of course. The evil half demon known as Naraku was sitting in one of his conference rooms on a pillow with his legs folded neatly underneath himself. Kagura was standing in a corner, her folded fan in her hand, talking with her creator.

The room they where in was pretty plain, nothing adorned the walls and the colors where, in a nut shell, pretty much bland variations of grey, tan and a dark ugly green color. Naraku was calmly sitting in the center; his narrow red eyes inspecting his rebellious second incarnation. Thoroughly searching her bitter features to make sure she was not trying to tell him a lie. He finally deemed her truthful and dropped his piercing gaze to look at the sliding door that opened to reveal a girl about Kagura's height walking in.

"Kunara. Your task went according to plan, I presume?" Naraku asked in his deep voice.

"Yes. Rakuna has taken over the taijia girl, master Naraku."

"When did you achieve this?"

"When the hanyou went to kill the undead miko."

"And I'm guessing no one has knowledge of the plans?"

"No one suspects a thing except for her fire-neko."

"That wretched cat doesn't matter. I am pleased with your work, Kunara. You may go." He waved a hand at the girl; she bowed deeply at her waist and left, closing the sliding door behind her. Naraku watched her silhouette through the screen door as she walked away, down the hall.

The two demons, Kunara and Rakuna were Naraku's most recent detachments and they where sisters, with different powers and drastically different appearances.

Rakuna had dark blue hair and pale skin, and her eyes where white. No pupil, no shine, just white outlined by black, her small lips where painted a blue color that was a bit lighter than her hair, and she also had the same color eye shadow. Her bangs looked like Sesshoumaru's except a little wider spread out. She always wore kimono with variants of blue and plain sandals that many feudal time people wore.

Kunara had flaming red hair that was more in the style of Sango's. Her eyes where the same white color as her sister's and her lips and eye shadow where colored bright red, matching her hair, and she wore either red or pink clothes. She did not favor kimonos and, more often than not, dressed in male clothing. Other than their hair, lipstick, eye shadow and clothes preferences the two sister incarnations looked exactly the same; their body types were identical.

Both girls had two elemental powers each as well as a few very unique ones as well. Kunara had control over fire and earth while Rakuna wielded water and air. Kunara was able to transform and had the power of resurrection; she could give life to bodies, bring them out of the grave and command them.

Rakuna, however, specialized in manipulation and possession—she could also split her soul to control more people at once. She was also granted an innate ability with all weapons. Both sisters, when apart, had a solid black half-circle shaped demon marking on their foreheads; but when they were together, the half circle became full.

Naraku had to say himself, he was very proud of his last two incarnations, they where powerful and loyal and most of all, neither had failed in any assignment given to them. Twisting his body into a more relaxed position, he let out a sigh.

"Master Naraku." Kagura spoke, shrouded in the shadows of the corner of the room. He frowned; her tone wasn't at all respectful.

"What, Kagura?" He called in a bored voice and looked toward the area of the room Kagura had spoken from.

"What is your reasoning for having Rakuna take over the taijia?" The wind sorceress asked, stepping out of the darkness and into the view of the twisted, evil hanyou.

"The reasons are my own, but if you really must know…this is simply amusement." As he laughed evilly, a sinister smirk adorned his pale face and a wicked twinkle gleamed in his eye. His second incarnation's crimson eyes narrowed and she stepped across the room and exited.

"Kanna." Naraku called out firmly and calmly for his first, and so far most useful, incarnation. She silently appeared by his side, her blank, dark eyes bored into him, as if they where simply hollow.

"You called, Master Naraku?" She droned out in her dull, monotone voice.

"Show me Inuyasha." He commanded quietly. The small white child of an incarnation knelt down in front of her master and held up her mirror, the surface rippled and then settled to reveal a clearing in the woods. The picture that he saw was, to him, highly amusing…

oOo

Sango was completely kissing Inuyasha on his lips just as Sesshoumaru and Kagome, Miroku, Akina and Jaken passed the trees above the clearing. Inuyasha simply lost his mind, and he had no idea why. His mind just went blank and he felt himself close his eyes, wrap his arms around Sango and return her kiss.

Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. The sight tore at her heart, but she didn't let it show. No tears, no yelling, no sitting, and no fighting ensued. Sesshoumaru silently landed his youkai cloud and let the arm that was still around Kagome's waist fall to his side. The young miko stepped off of the white cloud, her sweet face devoid of emotion and stood about five feet from Inuyasha and Sango, who where still paying her no mind.

Inuyasha instantly smelt Kagome's scent and his amber eyes opened wide and his arms tried to unravel themselves from Sango's body.

'…_Ka…go…me…' _Inside the hanyou's head there was a battle raging, he heard some voice of a female telling him to give in and release his body. He, of course, fought with his entire mind at the strange voice. Eventually he lost the skirmish and control was ripped from him, his eyes closed again and his arms tightened around Sango. His hands where shaking with the effort of trying to break free and gain control of himself again, but he couldn't.

The kitsune and fire-neko entered the clearing at that moment; Kirara sitting atop Shippou's orange hair. As soon as he saw Kagome, tears of joy jumped into his eyes.

"Shippou." Kagome said simply and held out her arms limply, still no emotion on her face. Shippou looked at her scared for a minute by her expressionless face, then looked at Inuyasha and Sango, and understood why she was sad. The fox kit instantly jumped into his mother's awaiting and outstretched arms and clung to her shirt, soaking it with relieved tears

"Kirara?" The internally-grieving miko didn't know if the fire-neko wanted to come or not but she still wanted to give her the option to leave Inuyasha and Sango.

"Mreow!" Kirara jumped onto Kagome's shoulder and curled her tails around her paws as she sat and looked sadly back at her former mistress. Inuyasha and Sango broke apart, the hanyou put his arm around her waist and Sango leant her head on his shoulder, a small sinister smile touching her lips.

"Good bye, wench. Have fun with my brother." Inuyasha said darkly, smirking widely. Sango laughed lightly and reached up to kiss Inuyasha on the cheek.

Kagome turned back to Sesshoumaru, stung by Inuyasha's tone and stepped back onto the solid youkai cloud, laden with fox and cat passengers. Sesshoumaru's eyes where narrowed at his half-brother and he automatically put his arm around Kagome's waist and lifted his cloud from the ground, still fixing his hanyou brother with a deathly cold stare. Kagome glanced back with one sorrowful look and only allowed a few tears to roll silently down her cheek.

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A/N: Awww. Thanks for readin

JA NE!


	20. Miko's Fury

-:-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER TWENTY!-:-:-:-:-

As the group neared the castle Kagome's sorrow was slowly transforming to fury. Sesshoumaru looked down at the little miko on his arm—he could smell her sadness giving way to rage and for some reason he was fearful of her anger. He had a feeling her wrath was something to be reckoned with. As they touched down on the castle grounds in front of the Entrance Hall doors no one said a word to Kagome. The miko silently handed the soundly sleeping Shippou to Miroku who still also had Rin, and handed Kirara to Akina. She walked into the castle without looking back and not saying a word.

"Poor Kagome. She liked that dog-eared hanyou, didn't she?" Akina asked, her face held sympathy for her friend.

"Hai, very much." Miroku said sadly, looking at his dear friend's back as she disappeared beyond the Entrance Hall doors.

"Is Kagome-chan still going to be sad?" Rin asked innocently. No one answered her; she looked around at them and took the hint to stay quiet.

Sesshoumaru was silent, he had smelt her scent transform into anger, so he was sure Kiori would be in for an earful of her ranting for probably the rest of the night. And so would he, if he didn't say away. As he stepped off of his youkai cloud, it immediately disintegrated into thin air and he walked with measured strides toward the great hall doors. After Kagome was safely about half way to her rooms, the taiyoukai retreated to his study.

Akina, Miroku, Rin, Kirara and Shippou, who was now awake, where left outside. Apparently they would have to take care of Ah-Un. Miroku swung off of the massive dragon and turned to help Akina down, then Rin who was now holding Kirara. Slipping the harness around and off of their heads, she scratched Ah-Un behind its ears and the two-headed youkai walked off to do what ever it did. Shippou wriggled out of Miroku's arms and stood in front of Akina, he looked at her with his long, narrow, emerald green eyes.

"I'm Shippou! Who are you?" He asked bluntly but not irrespectively. His large childish eyes gazed quizzically at her. Akina crouched down to level with him and put on a bright smile.

"Hello Shippou, I'm Akina! I'm Kagome's friend, is she you mother?" Akina asked warmly, even thought she already knew the answer. Shippou nodded enthusiastically and beamed up and her.

"What kind of demon are you?" He asked, his face openly showing his young confusion. "You smell different." He stated, closing his eyes and taking a few small sniff of the air around Akina.

"Well, I'm a unicorn, and we aren't commonly counted as demons." Akina explained to the child patiently, and stood up.

"Akina's really nice, Shippou!" Rin said loudly, smiling at the unicorn.

"I like you!" Shippou declared matter-of-factly, looking up and jumped at the woman. She laughed and caught the fox kit easily; he climbed around her shoulders and sat himself haughtily on the top her pale golden head. He closed his eyes and smiled wide, the evening sun glinting off of his pearly white, sharp fangs. Miroku smiled at the two of them, they looked so cute. He picked up Rin and spun her around, she laughed joyfully and Kirara mewed happily in her arms. Miroku slowed to a stop and set her down, and Rin took his hand in her small one and smiled up at him, he closed his eyes and smiled down at the little girl.

"Well let's go see in your Okaasan has cooled off yet," Akina said, starting to walk toward the castle doors, keeping her head straight as to not knock off the kitsune perched on top of her crown. "She got quite mad toward the end of the trip! Woo! I thought she was going to explode!" Akina joked and reached up and poked Shippou in his side, tickling him. Shippou laughed and covered his sides as all five of them walked inside the great hall double doors.

oOo

"HOW DARE SHE!" Kagome flared, pounding her tightly balled fists once on her four-poster bed mattress as she passed while in her pacing cycle.

"How could she do that right in front of me?" she brought her hands in front of her in semi fists and her fingers twitched in anger. Her eyes might as well have held fire in them by the furious look she fixed Kiori with. Of course she wasn't mad at her but just the sight of them made her loose control! Besides, Kagome was MUCH calmer…now that there was a four foot in diameter hole in the wall. Her fury found vent in accidentally beaming her miko powers in through it. Kagome never knew she had that power, but she now had a wonderful make-shift door to the room next to hers, Sesshoumaru wouldn't be happy…

"What's WRONG with the both of them?" Kagome continued. Kiori was basically terrified—after that hole through the wall, she took to staying a distance from the upset miko.

"Kagome, calm down! You don't need them, you live here now, you have your friends Miroku, Akina, Shippou, Rin, me, and Sesshoumaru. You have a new life!" Kiori told her, trying to calm the miko down. Kagome's fiery eyes welled tears though it didn't douse the blaze. She looked at Kiori, her eyes shone with unshed tears pooling in her chocolate orbs, and she plopped down heavily on her bed. The girl approached the slowly calming miko and sat next to her, put an arm around her and offered soothing words as she broke down in tears.

"It's okay, Kagome. You deserve better than that hanyou!" Kiori said in a convincing voice.

"It's not alright! What did I do wrong? What does Sango have that I don't? Does he like her because she's stronger than me? Big deal! Who isn't?" Kagome dropped her head into her hands, her elbows resting on her trembling knees. Her room doors opened and Akina and Miroku walked in, they let Shippou stay in the great hall to get to know Rin, and Kirara stayed with the two of them also. Both surveyed the rather large hole in the wall before rushing to the miko.

"Oh Kagome! You don't even know how strong you are?" Akina said, also sitting on the bed next to the miko. She heard the conversation from outside the room door.

"Strong?" She said in an incredulous and slightly hysterical voice. "I can't even hit the mark in archery! And that's what I'm supposed to be good at!" Kagome wailed, her frail body shaking slightly with her sobs.

"Kagome, you're an incredibly powerful miko! With some lessons you'll be as strong as…as Sesshoumaru!" Akina said comfortingly, rubbing soothing circles on Kagome's back.

"And once we find the rest of all of the pieces of the jewel it will merge back with the current protector miko—you. And you'll be unstoppable!" Miroku said comfortingly. "I don't ever want to hear you say you're weak ever again!" he continued and gently held Kagome's shoulders in front of him, tenderly forcing her to look up into his eyes, "…Because the Kagome Higurashi I know never lies." He bent down, closing the space between them, giving Kagome a tight hug. Once Kagome was released from Miroku's soothing embrace she dried her tear-streaked face on her plain black kimono.

"Thanks." She said quietly, looking down at her knees, her mouth still drawn in a thin line. Akina patted her hand, smiled and stood up. Taking Miroku's hand in hers and led him out to let Kagome be alone. Once outside she turned to the monk that never failed to amaze her.

"You were great! You really made Kagome feel better." Akina told him, smiling and sounding very proud of him. "How could such a perverted houshi have such a kind heart…" the unicorn whispered, she stood on her tip toes and brushed his dark spiky hair out of his face, leant in and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek, she turned with a small smile and walked down the castle corridor, leaving the monk standing blankly.

Miroku stood there, his violet eyes more than twice their normal size and he blubbered incoherently as he stumbled to his respective room, a hand raised to his cheek.

"See, Kagome? You've got wonderful friends right here, just forget about that hanyou and the taijia, let them go on and have a miserable life all alone. It's obvious they don't know how much of a great friend they just lost." Kiori assured her, she thought maybe promising her friends a horrible life would make her feel better. The miko didn't seem too fazed by her comment but wasn't looking any better either. Kagome sniffed and nodded, turning her watery eyes on her friend and gave her a small smile. The girl stood up and took a deep breath, pushed her hair out of her face and walked to the bathroom to wash her face. The smell of tears on her hands and body would surely tell all the youkai of the castle how upset she had been, if they didn't know already that is.

When she came out Kiori was checking the damage of the hole in the wall.

"Y'know…if you wanted a bigger room you could have said something, the masons of the castle could have surely made a much nicer hole." Kiori joked. She ran her finger around the side of the hole and watched a few pebbles of rock crumble and fall. She turned around to face her friend and started laughing. The whole situation just seemed so silly now. Kagome laughed back, she put on an innocent mock hurt look. Both girls laughed more, the noise went through the door of her room and rung throughout the silent corridors. Sesshoumaru heard it, his study was a whole three flights of stairs down but sound traveled quite easily in the bare stone and marble castle, it effortlessly reached the taiyoukai's sensitive ears.

"Who could be laughing that hard so as I can hear it all the way here." He mused and stood up and out of his study chair, entering the hall and strode through his castle to come to a stop at Kagome's room doors.

'_How is it that she can be so happy after what just occurred?'_ Sesshoumaru asked himself and pushed the door open to let himself in with out even knocking. He marched into the room; it smelled heavily of Kagome's jasmine scent and her tears, it there it made him feel slightly lightheaded for a split second. The two girls looked up instantly to see the Taiyoukai. Kiori ceased laughing immediately and stood up straight, her arms tight by her side and her face devoid of any trace that said she had been joyfully laughing just a few seconds back. Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru then at Kiori and giggled, her eyes closed.

"What is so funny." He asked, glaring at the miko with a bored look in his eyes. Kagome shook her head and looked past him to glance at the hole in the wall and laughed a little harder.

"If you want to visit a neighboring room in my home you simply walk outside and go through the door, do you really see the need to demolish my castle?" He commanded lightly, not even looking back at the hole, he saw it on his way in but didn't comment then. Kiori couldn't help it; she let out a giggle and tried to straighten her features back to normal.

"I am ever so sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome said in a sweet, joking voice and she gave a shallow bow. Sesshoumaru raised a delicate eyebrow at her and she giggled.

"Servant." Sesshoumaru commanded sharply. Kiori jumped and scrambled to stand in front of him, she bowed her head and awaited orders. "Leave. The miko and I have some things to discuss." He said vaguely.

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Bowing quickly again she swiftly exited the room, leaving Kagome with the taiyoukai. She felt a little uncomfortable about being in her private rooms alone with Sesshoumaru. The incident in the hot springs made its way into her head and she blushed. He smelt her uneasiness in her scent and knew he had to get her to calm down before being able to talk to her.

"Relax miko, you're not in trouble." He told her and she visibly settled down and sighed softly. Then she looked up sharply and fixed him with a stare.

"Why do you call me miko? Its always miko or woman or human, at least it's not wench…" Kagome said the last part quietly, "But why can't you just call me Kagome?" She glared at him, and gave him an accusing stare. He looked back at her looking thoroughly nonchalant. "And can't you be a little nicer to Kiori?"

"I shall call you whatever I wish. And do not tell me how to command my servants." He said curtly and turned toward the door. Kagome's face fell and she looked alarmed at his sudden desire to leave.

"Ah, hey wait! I thought you wanted to talk to me about something!" She walked behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he wasn't wearing his boa or armor and looked strangely more slender with out them.

"What?" He said calmly as always.

"What did you want to tell me? Why did you make Kiori leave if you weren't going to say anything?" She questioned, letting her hand slip from his shoulder back to her side. He didn't circle around to face her.

"You will be given lessons on how to control you miko powers and how to use various weapons." He declared, not even asking her opinion on the matter, he was telling her. Ordering her.

"And do I have any say in this? What if I don't want lessons?" She said defiantly, not noticing what she was saying.

"You do not want to learn how to control your powers?" Turning his head a bit to look at her. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes opened a little wider, realizing what she said.

"No, sorry, I do." She said, her head bowing slightly. Sesshoumaru turned back forward.

"So be it. You will have training everyday, starting tomorrow at dawn." Sesshoumaru said.

"Eek! Dawn? But that's way too early!" She countered quickly.

"Do you want them or not?"

"…Yes." She said quietly.

"Then you will wake up every day at dawn." He answered and took a few steps toward the door until…

"Wait!" She exclaimed, "Who will be my sensei?" Kagome asked, looking at Sesshoumaru's back facing her. He didn't turn around, his silver head moved slightly as he looked at her out of the corner of his golden eye. She could hardly see the smirk that adorned his face.

"Me."

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A/N: Hehehe how I lurve Sesshoumaru =) I don't think you guys understand how excited I get when I see reviews in my inbox, im like bouncing in my seat when I see I have a couple lol, well thanks for readin!

JA NE!


	21. Training

-:-:-:-:-CHAPTER TWENTY ONE-:-:-:-:-

-:-earlier that evening, after Kagome left the woods-:-

Inuyasha pulled away from Sango, his eyes half-lidded. A sudden flash of light glazed over his golden eyes. All around his body the air shimmered like heat waves radiating off him and a transparent young girl with dark blue hair and fair skin stepped out of his figure and merged back into Sango. Inuyasha's eyes blanked stark white for a second, matching his former captors eyes then went back to his normal golden color.

"Huh? Sango? What's going on?" He asked, his brow furrowed and he stepped back further from the demon slayer.

"Nothing, Inuyasha. You just zoned out there for a second." Sango said innocently and gave him a small smile

"Uh, oh…okay." He mumbled, his golden eyes roamed his location quizzically, "Why are we here, Sango? Where are Shippou and Kirara?" He demanded and looked at Sango expectantly.

"Don't you remember?" Sango asked him, her brow creased and she cocked her head to one side. "Shippou left on Kirara to go to Kagome. Why are you asking me? You already know this." Sango said shaking her head slightly in confusion.

'_Such a foolish hanyou, he hasn't even noticed that I am not Sango! And that memory charm wasn't even a strong one, in fact it was quite weak and he still doesn't remember his beloved miko at all, he'll believe anything I'll say! Even if it is painfully obvious that it's not true! What an easy job, that weak minded baka won't remember a thing after this! The taijia put up more of a fight and she's a human!' _The strange voice within Sango's vacant head belonged to none other than Naraku's latest incarnation, Rakuna, sister of Kunara.

"Wait…then where is Kagome?" he asked, still completely nonplussed about his situation and he fixed his eyes on the taijia he had come to trust.

"She went back home, to her time period." She said slowly, as if talking to a two-year-old. Inuyasha's eyebrows knitted together, trying to remember. He didn't comprehend the fairly large loop-hole in Sango's explanation, why would Shippou and Kilala go to Kagome if she was in her era? Too bad he didn't notice it. To him, her reasoning was completely understandable to his unresponsive brain.

"Ok, so where's Miroku?" Inuyasha looked at Sango, curiosity easily readable in his wide golden eyes.

"He went to see Mushin, you know, his monk sensei." She said, yet again coming up with an excuse as to why their friends where missing in action.

"O…ok, why are we here?" The hanyou was streaming his questions, trying to get all the information he knew he should know.

'_Why do I get the feeling I'm forgetting something? It was something important…I know it was…what was it!'_ Scratching his head, he tried to piece together all of Sango explanations make them make sense, but his little hanyou mind was going overtime already and he just shrugged it off, presuming the taijia was right.

"We had better get back to the hut, night fall is approaching." Sango said quietly, changing the subject swiftly and looking about them. She was glad to see a plethora of ominous narrow, crimson red eyes glaring darkly and maliciously at them through the sinister trees of the forest. Night was when the beautiful forest turned into the demons' playground

"Uh...right. Let's go then. Get on my back Sango, and hold on, I'm going straight up." Crouching down so Sango could hang on to his back, he warned her one more time to hang on tightly. She shouldered her hiraikotsu more securely and gripped onto Inuyasha's shoulders as he sprang up easily, and quickly clearing the trees. He landed far-off and bounded again, jumping lightly from tree branch to tree branch, making his way to the hut where he would wait for Kagome. He was convinced into belief that she was beyond the bone-eater's well, safe and sound and no where near his half-brother.

oOo

"Kagome!"

The young miko was brought into consciousness the next morning by Kiori gently shaking her and calling her loudly. No one in the castle knew this yet, but Kagome was an extremely hard sleeper and only awoke when she wanted too…and when she was woken up unintentionally by someone other than herself she tended to get exceptionally cranky and foul-tempered. This morning was no different.

The miko slowly and painstakingly cracked open her chocolate brown eyes and stared murderously at Kiori, whose face was a few inches away from her own, staring intently and unblinkingly at her. Kagome remembered vaguely that she had training with Sesshoumaru this morning, but it was just too early! The miko rolled over half-heartedly and looked out of a window. It was still dark outside! She groaned and replaced her body back into her sleeping position and closed her eyes. Kiori shook her again, a little harder this time.

"Kagome! Get up now! You must get ready for training with Sesshoumaru-sama!" Kiori said loudly in her ear and shook her again. Kagome's brow came together and she violently swatted Kiori's hands away from her person. She propped herself up on her elbow and glared venomously at her servant that has become one of her best friends.

"No!" Kagome said firmly and loudly. "Sesshoumaru can train by himself for all I care! Wake me up in a few hours and I'll be ready!" The miko commanded strictly and turned over, her back to Kiori and closed her eyes haughtily. More shaking came as the servant demoness continued trying to rouse her from her bed, then suddenly the shaking stopped. Kagome let out a breath, her face relaxed and she nuzzled into the fluffy pillow.

"Miko, training is now. Why is it you do not get up." A firm and icy voice penetrated her half-dead-to-the-world-mind and she scrunched her eyes. Suddenly, strong, unyielding hands gripped her shoulders and lifted her out of her bed, a few feet above her silken covers. Kagome growled, if she had been a demon her eyes would have bled red at the intruder who was interfering with her sleeping pattern. She opened her tightly closed eyes angrily to see Sesshoumaru. Every emotion except for shock evacuated her features. She heard the icy voice, yes, but her groggy brain didn't connect the cold voice in her room to the unemotional taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru.

"Sesshoumaru…!" She squeaked, all traces of sleep disappeared from her face.

"Training is in twenty minutes. You had better be ready." He dropped her on the bed and she crumpled to her knees, watching the tall, proud demon walk out of her room. She let out a sigh and sagged her shoulders once he exited.

"C'mon, Kagome. You need to take a bath and change." Kiori said cautiously and tugged at Kagome's arm until she slid herself off of her warm silken bed and into the marble bathing room, the demoness undressed the girl quickly. Kagome's body was fumbly and somewhat unresponsive as she slipped into the warm bath, and Kiori left the bathing room to get her clothes set out for her to reduce the time she was taking.

"Kagome!" Kiori said loudly, the sleep-ridden miko was out cold, sitting up in the steaming bathing pool. Kagome jerked awake, her eyes flashed open.

"Where's the demon?" she shouted instantly after Kiori yelled at her, Kagome brought her arms up in a defensive position and looked around wildly, water sloshed around the miko in the pool, her eyes and brain not registering a thing until a few seconds passed. The miko then realized she was not under attack of any kind, shook her head lightly and began washing her body. Kiori looked positively alarmed and fixed Kagome with a stare that all too obviously conveyed that she feared for her lady's psychological health. Not only was she not entirely sure what to do after this display, Kiori couldn't help but wonder why Kagome had reacted as she had. Figuring that it had something to do with a few long years of demon hunting, she let it go.

Kagome slipped out of her bath a few minutes later and tried another futile attempt at wrapping herself in a fluffy towel and walking out into the main room. It was instantly ripped off of her figure and she was shown a black, skin-tight training outfit. It reminded her somewhat of Sango's demon slaying clothes. After she put it on, Kagome sat in front of her vanity, brushed her hair and pulled it into a tight pony tail high on her head.

The girl got up and took one last look at herself in her mirror and sighed. She snatched up her bow and arrow, turned toward the door and pushed it open, suddenly remembering she didn't know where she was training.

"Ah, where is it?" Kagome said under her breath as she looked back at Kiori who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed and was smiling smugly.

"Need some help?" She asked sarcastically and pushed off the wall to lead her friend to the spot Sesshoumaru-sama had instructed her to bring the miko to. Kiori side stepped Kagome and led her through the halls and down a couple flights of stairs.

"Sorry about earlier. I should have warned you I'm a hard sleeper." Kagome said, apologizing to her friend. Kiori laughed.

"You're not the worst I've had! One person I was supposed to be looking after threw me straight off the balcony!" The demoness smiled at Kagome's reaction.

"You where okay though, right?" She gasped.

"Yes, of course. I landed fine; I didn't get hurt." Kiori assured her. As they where walking Kagome started recognizing their location, they where on their way to the Entrance Hall to go out into the grounds no doubt.

"Are Sesshoumaru and I training in the castle grounds?" Kagome asked, wanting to confirm her internal conclusion.

"Yep, Sesshoumaru didn't want to train with you inside the dojo. I don't know why, thought." Kiori mumbled and kept on walking. Once they where out in the grounds Kiori pointed her in the direction of the training ground. The young miko took the simple directions and walked for about five minutes before she sighted a tall white figure standing far away. She smiled and waved, he looked in her direction bemusedly, but showed little emotion.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru." She called out cheerfully as she neared the stern taiyoukai.

"You as well…Kagome," said Sesshoumaru softly. He tilted his head down to see the miko as she stepped in front of him. The taiyoukai purposely used her name for the first time. Kagome looked at him with questioning eyes but recovered and kept talking, making a brave stab at conversation.

"So what will we be working on this morning?" Asked Kagome brightly, Sesshoumaru's eyes glinted in the dim light of the sunrise.

"You will learn to use archery more efficiently and you'll put some swords to use." He told her, turning and breaking their eye contact to walk towards a wall of the outer castle which Kagome saw had a weapons rack holding every type of destructive tool imaginable. He unhooked a bow and a quiver of arrows from the rack and strode back to Kagome's side.

"I'm guessing you already know the basics?" While talking, Sesshoumaru gripped the bow with his left and hand and reach behind his back for an arrow with his right and strung it on the tight string. He pulled back and aimed at the woods surrounding the grounds. Sesshoumaru let the arrow fly and it went straight through three trees until it came to a stop buried half way deep in the heart of the fourth one. Lowering the bow, the string vibrated violently and he turned to Kagome who had watched in amazement.

"Now you," commanded Sesshoumaru. Kagome held up her bow and set her position.

"Keep your elbow up…align your arrow …pull back more." Sesshoumaru barked out anything and everything he saw wrong with her form. Kagome had been standing in the same position, with her arrow strung back for almost five minutes when she heaved a loud sigh in exasperation and let her arms fall loosely at her side.

"Am I ever going to get to shoot?" Her eyes flashed as she half-yelled at him. She was frustrated, but not so much as to completely hurl her words in his face—that was just asking for a death sentence. She was right in front of him looking almost straight up to see him, her hands where in fists at her side. Sesshoumaru glared at the human and denied the temptation to roll his eyes.

"Don't raise your voice to me," he commanded. Stepping back a few paces, Kagome let her body relax a fraction but her eyes still looked heated.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, a stubborn tone involuntarily weaved into her voice. If Sesshoumaru noticed, he didn't say anything. Nodding, the taiyoukai turned toward the trees again.

"Go ahead. Shoot then." He said in a slight sarcastic tone, as if expecting her to fail.

Kagome glanced at him then brought her bow up and fitted an arrow on the tight string. She pulled back far.

'_Fine. If he wants a show…I'll give him one!' _Kagome thought shrewdly, she narrowed her eyes, focusing on a certain tree and closed her eyes, bringing forth her priestess powers. The tip glowed pink and the bright, warm light spread, engulfing the whole wooden shaft of the arrow.

Kagome opened her eyes, though they were still narrowed, and glanced once at the taiyoukai beside her. He only looked very, very mildly impressed. Kagome sighed inaudibly. She pulled back another inch or two and let her two fingers holding the arrow back release.

The young priestess let out her breath as the arrow split the air, leaving a faint pink trail in the wind. A small triumphant smile tugged at her lips. Her arrow went exactly through the three holes that Sesshoumaru's had carved out, split his arrow in two, hitting it dead on, and then went through that tree as well and stuck a little past half-way in the fifth. Sesshoumaru gulped, but he made sure Kagome didn't see.

Turning his head, he looked back down at Kagome and opened his mouth to say something but she was still looking at the tree she hit and he heard a loud _boom_, as if an explosive had gone off. The sound had come from that direction. He closed his eyes and turned his head slowly, opening them he saw that the tree her arrow had rested at was now demolished, blown into splinters, leaving leaves floating solemnly to the ground. Her pink energy still shimmered faintly in the area. And her arrow, looking untouched, lay in the middle of the mess.

"Hmm. Impressive." Said Sesshoumaru, even thought his tone said he was anything but. Kagome noted this and gave a pout; Sesshoumaru was surprised at how much she reminded him of Rin. Her facial features where almost the same, her dark hair, chocolate eyes, and now a childish pout…it was so uncanny.

"Oh, c'mon! That was better than yours!" Kagome argued her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. Sesshoumaru would have smiled if he wasn't…well…Sesshoumaru.

"Naturally it would be. You added your priestess powers to your arrow; of course it would be stronger. Even so, when did you learn to do that?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I practiced." She answered simply. He nodded and turned back to her.

"Your form still needs some work," he held up his bow again. "Follow me." Sesshoumaru commanded. He started walking and Kagome followed him. They came upon a clear field and in the far distance where a few targets for aim practice.

"Don't use your sacred arrows. I'd like to keep the targets intact for at least a couple minutes."

"Okay." Kagome agreed quietly, nodding her head. "…Hey…"

"What?"

"I've never seen you use archery, why do you have targets?" Kagome asked, eyeing the taiyoukai.

"Akina is an accomplished archer; she uses them. I also must master more weapons than a sword; it would be foolish to know only one way to protect my lands." Scoffed Sesshoumaru. "I'm not exactly fond of archery so I only use this skill when necessary." He stopped a ways away from the targets.

"Stand next to me." He commanded, the miko strode to locate herself next to him. He lifted his bow.

"Release position." He ordered.

Both brought up their bows and arrows at exactly the same time and fitted the arrow on the string.

"Align."

They both drew back the string and aimed their weapons. Kagome and Sesshoumaru looked identical in posture, standing side by side.

"Now." He whispered.

The arrows whistled through the air and hit the bull's eye of their respective targets at the precise same time. Kagome let her arm with her bow fall with a smile on her face and Sesshoumaru slowly lowered his own.

"Good enough, but it still needs work." He said. Kagome's shoulders sagged "Come." He said calmly and walked toward the targets. Kagome marched fast to catch up with his long strides.

"What are you trying to show me?" Kagome huffed as they neared the targets, her brown eyes looking from the target to Sesshoumaru's face, then back again, trying to figure out what his point was. What he was trying to say was wrong with her archery.

"Look." He said simply, bending over very slightly he pointed to the spot where Kagome's arrow entered the hay-filled target. She bent down, narrowed her eyes and examined her bulls-eye. Her jaw dropped.

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A/N: Yo! Sorry it's been a couple days, alotta work to do before coming back home for thanksgiving break! So here, ya go and have a happy Thanksgiving! =D

JA NE!


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